Google's first geothermal energy deal in Asia

The agreement, made with Baseload Capital, a global geothermal developer, is expected to deliver 10MW of continuous clean power to the grid and support Taiwan’s ambition to expand its geothermal capacity.

The announcement builds on Google’s existing commitment to renewable energy development in Taiwan, where it previously signed the country’s first corporate solar PPA in 2019. This latest agreement also complemented Google’s recent support for a 1GW pipeline of solar energy projects in the region.

Geothermal’s role in Taiwan’s energy mix

Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Taiwan has long been recognised for its geothermal potential. Unlike intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar, geothermal provides constant baseload power – a critical requirement for maintaining grid stability as more renewables are added.

Google’s partnership with Baseload Capital included not only the PPA agreement but also an equity investment in the company. The move aimed to accelerate the rollout of geothermal projects in Taiwan, improve local permitting frameworks, and expand technical expertise and supply chain capabilities for the sector.

Baseload Capital’s local subsidiary, Baseload Power Taiwan, has been actively engaged in geothermal resource exploration and community engagement since 2019. According to Google, its financial backing would help lower the cost and speed up the deployment of future geothermal projects.

Supporting Taiwan’s 2050 energy goals

Taiwan’s government has set a target to install 6GW of geothermal capacity by 2050. The projects supported by Google and Baseload Capital are intended to contribute to this goal, while fostering collaboration between corporate, government, and utility sectors to advance market development.

In parallel, Google continues to develop next-generation geothermal technologies through its global partnerships, including enhanced geothermal projects with Fervo Energy and subsurface data collaborations with Project Innerspace. The company is also supporting research into geothermal energy development in Australia.

A model for regional expansion

The projects in Taiwan could serve as a blueprint for geothermal development in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and Indonesia, as well as other global markets where Google has data centre and operational power requirements.

Google described the agreement as an important milestone in its broader clean energy transition: “This partnership is an important milestone in Google’s clean energy journey, and in our efforts to bring the benefits of reliable, clean power to every region where we operate.”

The company said it would continue to explore opportunities to replicate and scale similar projects internationally as part of its long-term clean energy strategy.