Geothermal energy company Fervo has scored a major coup as Google committed to buying 396 megawatts of electricity from Fervo’s Cape Station power plant in Utah, with the option to increase the purchase to 996 megawatts by 2030. The power deal, announced on Tuesday, comes as Google and other tech giants seek reliable sources of clean energy to support their data centers and AI ambitions.

For years, Google has been a leading buyer of renewable energy, including wind, solar, and battery storage. However, a recent deal with Crusoe for 933 megawatts of natural gas power in Texas may have nudged Google closer to its net-zero emissions target. The Fervo deal could help Google avoid the environmental drawbacks of natural gas while still powering its AI projects.

Fervo’s geothermal technology, which can tap deeper sources of heat, has the potential to generate up to 4 gigawatts of electricity. This could nearly double the entire geothermal generating capacity in the U.S., according to a recent U.S. Department of Energy report. Sarah Jewett, Fervo’s senior vice president of strategy, told TechCrunch that the site holds enough heat to generate twice as much electricity as initially planned.

The deal not only strengthens the partnership between Fervo and Google, which has been working together for over five years, but also paves the way for a significant expansion of geothermal energy in the U.S. It remains to be seen whether Fervo’s operations will fully materialize, but the deal is a promising step towards a more sustainable energy future.