This startup wants to use beams of energy to drill geothermal wells

Quaise, a geothermal startup, hopes its unconventional rock-melting drilling technology is the key to unlocking geothermal energy and making it feasible anywhere. 

Geothermal power tends to work best in those parts of the world that have the right geology and heat close to the surface. Iceland and the western US, for example, are hot spots for this always-available renewable energy source because they have all the necessary ingredients. But by digging deep enough, companies could theoretically tap into the Earth’s heat from anywhere on the globe.

The company is taking its technology from the lab to field trials for the first time this year.