East of Rockies Project

Executive Overview

The East of Rockies Project is Sage Geosystems' geopressured geothermal power generation and energy storage project under development with Meta (announced August 29, 2024) — the first use of next-generation geothermal power east of the Rocky Mountains and Meta's first direct geothermal energy procurement. Under the agreement, Sage will deliver up to 150 MW of geothermal power for Meta's data centre operations. Phase 1 (4–8 MW) is expected to be operational in 2027; Phase 2 (the balance of the 150 MW target) is expected in operation 36–48 months after Phase 1, placing it in 2030–2031. Sage is partnering with Ormat Technologies for the large-scale power generation component. The project supports Meta's goals of net-zero emissions across its supply chain by 2030 and 100% renewable energy by end of the decade. Geothermal made up just 0.4% of U.S. electricity generated in 2023; Meta's procurement is one of the largest corporate geothermal commitments in U.S. history.

How It Works & Differentiation

Sage's EarthStore Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) simultaneously provides baseload geothermal power generation and dispatchable energy storage from the same wellbore and subsurface infrastructure. The system stores energy by injecting water at high pressure into low-permeability sedimentary formations; during discharge, pressurised water drives a Pelton turbine to generate electricity. At depth, formation heat (approximately 150°C+) contributes baseload thermal energy independently of storage state. Sage drilled and tested its first GGS well at Starr County, Texas in 2021–2022; its first commercial energy storage facility at the SMECI Christine site was commissioned and cycling as of Q1 2025. The Ormat partnership adds proven ORC turbine technology to support the 150 MW target. Sage's GGS technology is effective in the low-permeability sedimentary rock underlying approximately 90% of U.S. territory at viable depths, making it applicable east of the Rockies in regions where conventional hydrothermal geothermal is not viable.

Commercialization & Traction

The East of Rockies project represents an entirely new geothermal geography: all prior commercial geothermal power in the United States is located in volcanic western regions. Sage's pipeline per its own projections runs to 1 GW of combined capacity, with annual capacity additions of 250–350 MW of energy storage per year. The Defense Innovation Unit and U.S. Air Force are also active Sage project partners (Ellington Field, Houston TX / Starr County TX, 2025 COD), adding credibility across both commercial and government markets. Meta first connected with Sage approximately a year before the August 2024 announcement.

Scalability & Strategic Context

Meta's 150 MW commitment is the largest single clean energy procurement for a geothermal project east of the Rocky Mountains in U.S. history. If Phase 2 is delivered by 2030–2031, Sage will have demonstrated commercial-scale geopressured geothermal in a new geology type simultaneously with its Christine ERCOT merchant project and its U.S. Army Fort Bliss energy resilience deployment — a three-project portfolio across three customer segments (corporate, merchant, government) validating the technology across the full range of use cases required for mass deployment.