Powering AI: How the Subsurface Can Fuel the Data Center Boom

AI-driven computing, cryptocurrency mining and EV charging are driving an unprecedented surge in energy demand. How can the industry keep up? This month on Innovation Underground, Enverus Intelligence® Research’s Ian Nieboer, head of Energy Transition Research, explores how the subsurface could play a pivotal role in supporting grid reliability, optimizing energy storage and unlocking new solutions for powering data centers and energy-intensive industries.

Topics Include:

• Alberta’s Natural Gas-Powered Data Center Surge
  With abundant, low-cost natural gas, Alberta is attracting data center projects. Pine Cliff Energy recently signed a 25-year natural gas supply deal to power off-grid facilities, and Kevin O’Leary’s $70B Wonder Valley project highlights growing interest in the region.
• Geothermal vs. Nuclear for Baseload Power
  Google, Fervo, Sage and Meta are investing in geothermal as a stable power source for data centers, leveraging oil and gas expertise in subsurface drilling. Meanwhile, nuclear remains a strong competitor—Microsoft recently signed a 20-year PPA to restart Three Mile Island. Which technology is better suited for long-term reliability?
• Hydrogen’s Dual Role: Natural Reserves and Storage
  More than 100 companies are exploring natural hydrogen—could a breakthrough be on the horizon? Additionally, hydrogen storage presents a potential solution for balancing intermittent renewables and ensuring the uptime reliability required by data centers.

Who Should Attend?

Oil and gas, midstream and service professionals interested in diversification opportunities in energy and AI infrastructure.

About Enverus Intelligence® | Research

Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations and macro-economic forecasts and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. See additional disclosures here.