# How geothermal gets built

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2025-05-29
- Length: 32m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built

## Summary

Carl Hoiland, co-founder and CEO of Zanskar, explains the step-by-step process of developing geothermal projects, from initial temperature gradient drilling to proving permeability and managing reservoir decline. He details the historical stall of the industry due to exploration risk and dry holes, and how new technologies like AI and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) are de-risking the sector. Hoiland highlights Zanskar's rapid 12-month development of the Lightning Dock field in New Mexico and discusses the massive potential of hundreds of gigawatts of accessible geothermal resources in the western United States.

## Chapters

- [3:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=186) Introduction: Carl Hoiland and Zanskar
- [4:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=278) History of Geothermal and the Stall
- [7:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=459) Exploration Risk and Dry Holes
- [10:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=652) Conventional vs. Enhanced Geothermal Systems
- [12:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=771) The Development Process: Drilling and Testing
- [21:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=1269) Reservoir Modeling and Decline Rates
- [24:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=1482) Top-Side Infrastructure and Power Generation
- [26:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=1611) Timeline Compression and Lightning Dock Case Study
- [29:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built#t=1767) Geographic Expansion and Resource Potential

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Zanskar (company)
- Fervo Energy (company)
- The Geysers (product)
- Lightning Dock (product)
- Google (company)
- EnergyHub (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How AI Is Unlocking Geothermal Power at Scale with Joel Edwards](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-19-how-ai-is-unlocking-geothermal-power-at-scale-with-joel-edwards) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [224. Geothermal Could Save the Grid. So Why’s No One Talking About It?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-07-15-224-geothermal-could-save-the-grid-so-whys-no-one-talking-about-it) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [The Future of Geothermal Energy Generation with Carlos Araque, CEO & Co-founder of Quaise](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-07-21-the-future-of-geothermal-energy-generation-with-carlos-araque-ceo-co-founder-of) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [HIBT Lab! Quaise Energy: Carlos Araque](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-04-hibt-lab-quaise-energy-carlos-araque) (How I Built This)
- [Tapping the heat beneath your feet with Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-06-08-tapping-the-heat-beneath-your-feet-with-kathy-hannun-of-dandelion-energy) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-05-29-how-geothermal-gets-built. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.