VCs Vinod Khosla and Sean “O’Sullivan participated in a session about investing in local weather tech on the SOSV Local weather Tech Summit 2023. (Supply: SOSV)
Through the SOSV Local weather Tech Summit 2023, long-time VC Vinod Khosla expressed optimism on the function that geothermal will play within the power transition motion.
Through the SOSV Local weather Tech Summit 2023 and in a dialog with SOSV Founder Sean O’ Sullivan, long-time enterprise capitalist Vinod Khosla spoke with nice optimism in regards to the progress of geothermal and its function within the transition away from fossil fuels.
“I’m pretty satisfied that within the 2040s we are going to exchange each coal and pure fuel plant within the US with clear power, most likely from both fusion or geothermal,” predicted Khosla throughout the session.
Khosla, nonetheless, mentioned that accessing deeper geothermal sources would be the key to its extra in depth utilization. He emphasised that the profitable transition to geothermal can occur provided that the intense warmth – 400 to 500 levels Celsius – may be tapped. “Meaning drilling to larger depths than we will drill right this moment,” Khosla mentioned.
“If we will do this, geothermal will grow to be obtainable in 100x extra areas than it’s right this moment,” Khosla additional added.
The SOSV Local weather Tech Summit had beforehand put the highlight on geothermal with a panel that includes Carlos Araque of Quaise Power and Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Power.
Fixing “deep expertise” points
Through the session, Khosla additionally burdened the significance of fixing “deep expertise” issues. These check with applied sciences that “have nice trajectory, not simply applied sciences which are able to be deployed right this moment.” Khosla had beforehand recognized a few of these issues in a 2020 weblog submit. The listing contains carbon seize together with direct air seize, water desalination utilizing renewable power, and manufacturing of fresh hydrogen, amongst just a few others.
Options to deep-tech issues, nonetheless, will take time and endurance, from buyers and founders alike. “We most likely have till 2030 or 2035 to develop these applied sciences, then [we’ll need] 15 years to exponentially scale them to get to web zero by 2050.”
To listen to extra of Vinod Khosla’s ideas on the long-term potential of local weather tech together with geothermal, SOSV has shared the video of the session as proven right here:
Supply: SOSV
