Geothermal Power and the Future of Skyscraper Design
When most people picture renewable energy, they think of solar panels or wind farms. But a powerful, untapped energy source lies right beneath our feet: geothermal heat. Recent innovations are making it possible to harness this resource in new ways, and the implications reach far beyond power grids—they extend into how we design our cities and skyscrapers.
For California, where energy demand continues to rise and climate goals grow more ambitious, geothermal offers a new path forward. And for downtown San Francisco, it could completely transform the way towers consume and manage energy.
The Energy Hunger of Today’s Towers
Modern skyscrapers are marvels of engineering, but they are also massive consumers of energy. From HVAC systems to 24/7 lighting, elevators, data centers, and vertical farming concepts, towers devour power at a scale most people don’t see. Heating and cooling alone can account for 40–50% of a high-rise’s total energy use. Add in water pumping, digital infrastructure, and the needs of hundreds or thousands of residents or office workers, and you have structures that run almost like small cities stacked vertically.
Right now, much of that energy is supplied by a mix of fossil fuels and intermittent renewables. Rooftop solar helps, but the limited roof area of a high-rise can’t meet the full demand of the building. That’s why skyscrapers lean heavily on the grid, which is often backed by natural gas or coal during high-demand hours.
How Geothermal Changes the Equation
Geothermal energy doesn’t depend on the sun shining or the wind blowing—it delivers a steady baseload of clean power every hour of every day. With advances in horizontal drilling and closed-loop systems, geothermal plants can now be built in places once considered impossible, including near urban centers.
For skyscrapers in San Francisco, that means:
Reliable Power Supply: Towers could draw from geothermal baseload energy to keep lights, elevators, and HVAC systems running without fear of grid volatility.
Efficient Heating and Cooling: Geothermal is especially well-suited for climate control. Imagine towers that use Earth’s natural heat reservoirs for both heating in winter and cooling in summer, slashing energy consumption.
Support for Vertical Ecosystems: Future towers won’t just house people—they’ll integrate hydroponics, aquaponics, and shared community systems that depend on stable, round-the-clock energy. Geothermal ensures these systems never face interruption.
Lower Water Footprint: With closed-loop systems, geothermal reduces water loss, an essential factor as California navigates long-term drought challenges.
From Limitation to Possibility
For decades, sustainability in architecture has often been framed around limiting consumption: using less energy, scaling back operations, cutting demand. But what excites me about geothermal is that it allows us to flip that script. Instead of designing for scarcity, we can design for abundance without guilt.
Downtown San Francisco could become a living example of what this looks like: towers that are not just energy consumers but part of a regenerative ecosystem powered by the Earth itself. California has led before in energy innovation—from solar adoption to efficiency standards—and geothermal could be the next bold step, one that the world will look to as a model.
Building Toward the Future
In my own work—whether imagining the vertical cityscapes of Mars or rethinking urban towers on Earth—I see geothermal as a bridge between vision and reality. It’s a way to design skyscrapers that are tall, dense, and alive with activity, while also deeply sustainable.
This strategy doesn’t just reduce carbon emissions; it changes how we think about cities, energy, and our relationship with the planet. By tapping into the heat of the Earth, we can build towers that are resilient, self-sustaining, and inspiring symbols of what a clean-energy future looks like.
California has the opportunity to lead this transformation. If we embrace geothermal as part of our design strategy for skyscrapers and city infrastructure, we won’t just change the skyline—we’ll change the very definition of sustainability.