CTR Launches American Data Power to Deliver 600MW Energy Complex
CTR Announces American Data Power at Baker Hughes Annual Meeting
Company to deliver 600-megawatt energy complex designed to support hyperscale data centers and critical U.S. digital infrastructure.
U.S. Department of Energy estimates 2.95 gigawatts of baseload power capacity within the Salton Sea Geothermal Field.
CEO, Rod Colwell, says Salton Sea geothermal is the ‘low-hanging fruit’ to bridge energy supply gaps as data center power demands surge across the U.S.
Controlled Thermal Resources Holdings Inc. (“CTR”), a U.S. geothermal resource developer, today announced the launch of American Data Power to deliver a utility-scale energy complex to support hyperscale data centers, advanced manufacturing, and critical U.S. digital infrastructure.
Announced at the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in Florence, American Data Power will advance the next phase of the company’s Hell’s Kitchen development - one of the largest baseload renewable energy initiatives in the U.S.
The announcement follows the company’s long-term collaboration with Baker Hughes, which includes over eight years of technical validation, subsurface analysis, engineering, drilling programs, and execution planning. The companies recently completed a Field Development Plan, confirming the technical and commercial viability to produce up to 600 megawatts of net baseload power.
American Data Power’s proposed energy complex is designed to accommodate powered-site development precincts and is expected to deliver high operational reliability, targeting a power capacity factor exceeding 95 percent. This performance profile is intended to meet the continuous, high-load electricity demands of hyperscale data centers while significantly reducing carbon emissions across operations.
"Access to reliable baseload power has become a critical bottleneck for AI and hyperscale data infrastructure growth in the U.S.," said Rod Colwell, Chief Executive Officer of Controlled Thermal Resources. “The Salton Sea geothermal field currently produces around 450 megawatts of baseload power and has an estimated 2.5 gigawatts of untapped capacity – that’s enough around-the-clock electricity to power an entire city. It’s an immense and underutilized clean energy resource that can offer immediate utility-scale solutions to these pressing challenges.”
The company’s 4,000-acre project, which has strong bipartisan state and federal support, is located within the County of Imperial’s Lithium Valley Specific Plan, a comprehensive master-plan that identifies data centers and supporting digital infrastructure as permitted land uses within designated industrial zones. This programmatic framework aims to provide clear permitting pathways that materially reduce entitlement risk and support project planning and financing.
American Data Power’s program is supported by CTR’s initial 50 MW power plant and critical minerals project, which is nearing construction-readiness under the company’s subsidiary, American Critical Resources.
“The strategic value of Hell’s Kitchen and the greater Salton Sea geothermal resource cannot be overestimated,” Colwell added. “It is a proven resource with a 40-year operating history that can be scaled rapidly to service near-term energy demand while helping to alleviate longer-term energy supply instability as alternative technologies and battery energy storage systems mature and scale to commercial capacity.”
Lorenzo Simonelli, Baker Hughes Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, speaking at the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting
About American Data Power and the Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal Resource
American Data Power, a subsidiary of Controlled Thermal Resources Holdings Inc., is a U.S.-based geothermal developer advancing a utility-scale, 600MW energy complex to support data and AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and grid decarbonization. The company is developing the Hell’s Kitchen geothermal project at the Salton Sea, in Imperial Valley, California.
24/7 Baseload Power at Scale: Unlike intermittent renewables, geothermal power provides continuous, dispatchable baseload energy - a critical requirement for AI training, inference workloads, and hyperscale cloud infrastructure.
Large-Scale ‘Powered Site’ Availability: The project controls approximately 4,000 contiguous acres within a designated geothermal and industrial development zone, enabling direct colocation of power generation and data infrastructure.
Transmission and Grid Connectivity: The site is integrated into the Imperial Irrigation District’s 230 kV transmission network, with access to broader California and Southwest power markets as infrastructure upgrades progress.
High-Capacity Fiber and Physical Infrastructure: The region benefits from proximity to major fiber routes linking Southern California, Phoenix, and broader western U.S. data corridors, as well as rail and logistics connectivity.
Streamlined Permitting and Zoning: Imperial County’s Lithium Valley Specific Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) is expected to provide a streamlined permitting framework for data centers, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and supporting infrastructure with an aim to reduce development timelines and regulatory risk.
Water and Industrial Readiness: Imperial Irrigation District holds senior Colorado River water rights and has adopted policies to support industrial and data-driven growth.
Critical Minerals Development: American Data Power is structured as a separate entity from CTR’s critical minerals business - American Critical Resources.
