Bill Gates comes to Utah to help Sen. Curtis in his efforts to preserve clean energy
WASHINGTON — As Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, pushes to preserve clean energy tax credits and boost domestic energy production, the junior Utah senator is getting an assist from a well-known figure: Bill Gates.
Curtis met with Gates in the Beehive State last week as the pair toured Cape Station, a newly developed geothermal site run by energy company Fervo Energy in southwest Utah. The visit came at a crucial time: While Republicans look to enhance energy production, many federal tax credits incentivizing alternative resources are on the chopping block in President Donald Trump's tax bill.
'Utah is at the forefront of energy innovation, and the Cape Station Geothermal project in Beaver is a powerful example of that progress,' Curtis said in a statement. 'I believe America's energy future can be affordable, reliable, and clean—and geothermal will be a critical part of making that vision a reality."
Fervo Energy, a green energy supplier based in Houston, is pouring more than $2 billion into the rural Utah site for what is expected to become the world's largest enhanced geothermal project. The undertaking is being backed by Breakthrough Energy, which was founded by Gates in 2015 to boost sustainable energy production.
'Enhanced geothermal is one of the most promising solutions for delivering reliable, low-carbon power, especially as demand for affordable energy grows,' Gates said in a press release. 'Breakthrough Energy Ventures invested in Fervo early because we believed in this vision, and it's exciting to see that potential becoming reality here in Utah.'
The geothermal site is expected to become fully operational by 2028 — although that timeline could be delayed if Republicans in Congress vote to repeal clean energy tax credits established by the Biden administration.
Without those subsidies, which incentivize clean energy production, completing the geothermal project could be punted to the next decade.
'The difference is, will we bring gigawatts on the grid this decade or will it be next decade?' Tim Lattimer, CEO and co-founder of Fervo Energy, told the Wall Street Journal, which was the first to report on the trip. 'And that's what the tax credits mean.'
Gates has long pushed for deeper investments in geothermal energy, arguing federal support is necessary to keep production costs affordable to produce the alternative energy source.
Much of that support comes from credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, former President Joe Biden's signature clean energy bill.
The IRA created significant tax credits for renewable energy projects such as solar, wind and geothermal. These Investment Tax Credits are meant to incentivize households and businesses to install renewable energy systems by allowing them to deduct a percentage of the cost from federal taxes.
Cape Station has benefited from those tax credits, lowering its operational costs over the last two years since its inception.
However, some Republicans and conservative organizations argue the federal subsidies actually raise prices while reducing the reliability of power systems. As a result, several Republicans are pushing to repeal the law in full as part of Trump's massive tax reconciliation package making its way through Congress.
Curtis is among those pushing to preserve some of those policies, particularly those dealing with nuclear energy, net-zero emissions, battery storage and geothermal. The first-term senator has long centered his climate policies on clean energy solutions, suggesting last week he will push for those changes as the Senate considers the bill.
Geothermal energy is a rare renewable energy source that has garnered bipartisan support over the last several years. Unlike wind and solar energy, which Republicans have often criticized as being unreliable, geothermal energy can generate constant power.
Most of the resources necessary to produce geothermal energy are located on federal land, prompting Republicans and Democrats to team up on legislation expanding access to those resources.
The Senate is set to vote on the reconciliation package in the coming weeks, with Republican leaders pushing to get the bill to Trump's desk before the Fourth of July.
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