Ormat Technologies has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with data center operator Switch for approximately 13 MW of carbon-free geothermal capacity from Ormat’s Salt Wells geothermal power plant near Fallon, Nevada. Ormat says the deal is its first direct PPA with a data center operator and is intended to support the power needs of Switch’s Nevada data centers.
Ormat reports that, under the agreement, Switch will purchase approximately 13 MW from the Salt Wells facility. Ormat also says it has an option to expand output to Switch by adding an approximately 7 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) facility intended to serve the auxiliary power needs of the geothermal power plant.
Ormat says energy deliveries under the PPA are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2030, and that this timeline follows a “major upgrade” to the Salt Wells power plant. Ormat reports the upgrade is expected to be finalized by the second quarter of 2026.
“We are proud to enhance our diverse portfolio of renewable, Nevada-based energy sources and deepen our commitment to powering Switch’s data centers with renewable energy through this new long-term agreement with Ormat,” said Alise Porto, SVP of Energy & Sustainability at Switch. “As demand for AI and high-performance digital infrastructure accelerates, securing reliable, carbon-free baseload power is essential to supporting our customers and sustaining our growth. Geothermal energy offers the resiliency and sustainability profile required for the next generation of AI and cloud workloads, and this partnership enhances our ability to deliver world-class performance with a minimal environmental footprint. We look forward to continuing to scale the power needs of our campuses to meet the strong demand for our data center platform.”
Ormat says it owns, operates, designs, manufactures, and sells geothermal and recovered energy generation power plants, primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter, which it describes as “a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity.” Ormat reports it has engineered, manufactured, and constructed power plants totaling approximately 3,600 MW of gross capacity, and that its current total generating portfolio is 1,695 MW, including a 1,310 MW geothermal and solar generation portfolio and a 385 MW energy storage portfolio.
Source: Ormat Technologies
