Critical Energy

Critical Energy is a clean energy startup focused on making geothermal energy more accessible and affordable. The company was founded in 2024 by Spencer Jackson and is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. Jackson, who serves as CEO, previously held engineering leadership roles at SpaceX and was an Entrepreneur in Residence at NosTerra Ventures, focusing on low-cost clean energy innovations. The company's team includes engineers and innovators with backgrounds in aerospace, energy, and transportation, with over 50 years of combined experience at SpaceX.

Critical Energy is developing modular geothermal power plants that are designed to be deployed faster and more flexibly than traditional geothermal facilities. Their first-generation product, named Cascade, consists of factory-assembled modules in shipping containers that can be transported to remote locations. Each unit is capable of multi-megawatt output and can be deployed individually or in parallel to match the site's resources. The company has developed a proof-of-concept demo system that has generated over 50 kW of electricity, validating its closed-loop design and core technology, which includes heat exchange, working fluid cycles, and turbine-driven power generation. The business aims to accelerate the deployment of these modular plants to provide a low-cost source of 24/7 clean power. The company has raised $4.25M in funding from investors, including Climate Capital and Dangerous Ventures.

Keywords: geothermal power plants, modular energy, clean energy, dispatchable energy, geothermal technology, aerospace engineering, renewable energy, power generation, turbine technology, clean-tech, alternative energy, energy infrastructure, sustainable energy, carbon-free energy, energy systems, project development, heat exchange, power plant deployment, energy innovation, utility-scale energy