# The Future of Geothermal Energy Generation with Carlos Araque, CEO & Co-founder of Quaise

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2022-07-21
- Length: 45m
- Episode: 5
- Page: 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
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/6nr32448-carlos-araque-ceo-of-quaise

## Summary

Carlos Araque, CEO and Co-founder of Quaise Energy, explains how his company uses millimeter-wave drilling technology, derived from fusion research, to access deep geothermal energy. He argues that geothermal is one of the few renewable sources capable of scaling to the 40-50 terawatts needed to replace fossil fuels, unlike solar and wind which face land and material constraints. Araque details Quaise's approach of vaporizing rock at depths of 3-12 miles to produce supercritical steam, enabling the repowering of existing fossil fuel infrastructure rather than building new plants from scratch. He emphasizes the quantitative scale required, noting that drilling 10,000 wells per year is within the current capabilities of the oil and gas industry.

## Chapters

- [0:03](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#t=3) Introduction: Carlos Araque and Quaise Energy
- [1:57](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#t=117) Araque's Background: MIT, Oil & Gas, and the Decision to Pivot
- [3:53](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#t=233) Why Geothermal? Quantitative Analysis of Energy Scale and Limits of Solar/Wind
- [9:51](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#t=591) Geothermal 101: The Planet as a Thermal Battery
- [12:17](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#t=737) Quaise's Innovation: Millimeter-Wave Drilling and Gyrotrons
- [17:25](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#t=1045) Repurposing Fossil Fuel Infrastructure: Steam to Turbines
- [23:20](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#t=1400) Scaling to Terawatts: 10,000 Wells Per Year and Oil & Gas Parallels
- [27:11](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#t=1631) Technical Challenges: Scaling from Lab to Field Operations
- [30:25](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#t=1825) Extracting Heat: Fractured Rock, EGS, and Thermal Shock
- [38:57](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#t=2337) Future Outlook: Converting Power Plants and Climate Optimism

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Quaise Energy (company)
- MIT Plasma Science Fiction Center (company)
- Somberge (company)
- Gyrotron (chip)
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems (company)
- FORGE (product)
- Evergreen Fire (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [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)
- [Digging deep for super hot geothermal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-03-05-digging-deep-for-super-hot-geothermal) (Catalyst)
- [Could geothermal become a major zero-emissions player?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-09-09-could-geothermal-become-a-major-zero-emissions-player) (Catalyst)
- [Going deep on next-gen geothermal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-06-27-going-deep-on-next-gen-geothermal) (Catalyst)
- [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)

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