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Khosla-backed Mazama Energy just raised $135M to drill deeper into super-hot-rock geothermal

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Geothermal startup Mazama Energy raised $135 million in an oversubscribed Series B, the startup said Thursday.

The fresh funding will help the company develop horizontal wells in super-hot rocks capable of generating 15 megawatts of electricity per well.

Mazama plans to start generating electricity sometime next year and said its first site in Oregon is capable of producing 10 gigawatts of electricity. That’s a sharp upward revision from the company’s estimate last year, when investor Vinod Khosla said the site had the potential to produce 5 gigawatts.

Enhanced geothermal startups are shaping up to be the dark horse in the battle to power AI data centers and other large loads on the grid. While tech companies and data center developers have been throwing their weight behind natural gas, geothermal startups have been quickly advancing their technology.

Unlike previous geothermal projects, enhanced geothermal startups are targeting deeper and hotter rock. Mazama, for example, has drilled past 10,000 feet in 15 days on its way to about 15,000 feet deep. At those depths, the company can access 750˚ F (400˚ C) heat, which at high pressures turns water into a “supercritical” fluid that’s neither fully liquid nor fully gas — a state that lets it absorb far more energy than ordinary steam. Mazama said that will allow each well to produce up to 10 times more power than traditional geothermal technologies.

Given the depths Mazama is targeting, the potential payoff is significant. Tapping just 1% of super-hot rock worldwide could generate more than 63 terawatts of electricity, according to the University of Twente and the Clean Air Task Force.

While work at its Oregon site is still in the early stages, the startup has already secured land for a second development. Mazama aims to complete development of the first site by 2030, at which point it says it should generate 200 megawatts of electricity.

The new round was led by Centaurus Capital and Doerr Capital, with participation from ConocoPhillips and Shell Ventures. Existing investors including Khosla Ventures and Gates Frontier returned, and new investors SiteGround Capital, H. Barton Asset Management, and the Jeffrey and Marieke Rothschild Foundation also joined the round.

Mazama was incubated at Khosla Ventures.

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Kwankwaso receives former APC members who defected to NDC in Kano

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Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the New Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, has received a group of former All Progressives Congress (APC) members who joined the NDC in Kano.

According to a Facebook post by Saifullahi Hassan, Kwankwaso’s media aide, the Vice Presidential candidate received the defectors at his residence in Kano on Saturday, October 10, 2026.

The delegation included former Kumbotso Local Government Chairman, Sagiru Abdulkadir Panshekara; Mustapha Beci; Garba Tanko Danmaliki; Shehu Kura, a former APC chairman in Kumbotso; Ibrahim Mai Adashi, a former executive secretary of education in the local government; and Mai Nasibi Kumbotso.

“During the visit, the defectors reaffirmed their support for the Kwankwasiyya Movement and their commitment to the ideals of the NDC,” he said.

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On the same day, Hassan posted a different video describing it as another wave of defections to the party, with former APC leaders from Kumbotso joining Kwankwaso’s political camp.

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Gunmen kill three miners in Plateau

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Three miners were reportedly killed by gunmen on Friday at a mining site in the Jamus area of Kazok village, Gashish District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

In a statement on Friday, Rwang Tengwong, the spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), said the incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. 

He identified the deceased miners as John Mafulul, 53, and Ezekiel Yohanna, 50.

“These were not just two names added to a list of civilians killed by the armed Fulani terrorists; they were human beings with families, loved ones and people who depended on them,” Mr Tengwong said.

He explained that in another incident, Bulus Chun Pam was reportedly attacked on Wednesday and sustained injuries during the incident that occurred in the Foron district of Barkin Ladi.

Mr Tengwong noted that Mr Pam was taken to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment and later died on Friday.

“His death is another painful loss to his family and community, who would have hoped and prayed for his recovery,” Mr Tengwong stated.

He said the group was deeply concerned about the recurring attacks and mourned the victims of previous incidents.

According to him, the situation is particularly troubling because residents should be able to work, travel and go about their daily activities without the constant fear of being attacked.

“Mining sites, farmlands, rural settlements and community roads should not become places where residents risk losing their lives simply because they are trying to survive,” he said.

The state police spokesman, Alfred Alabo, did not immediately respond to Peoples Gazette’s request for comment.

On June 16, five miners were killed at a mining site after gunmen invaded Gero village, Gy district of the Jos



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