Critical Energy

Critical Energy is a Los Angeles-based energy technology startup building factory-made, modular power generation systems that convert heat into electricity. Founded in 2024 by SpaceX veteran Spencer Jackson, the company designs containerized, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbine units that can be shipped and installed in weeks - a dramatic improvement over the years-long deployment timelines of conventional power plants. Their technology uses a specialized working fluid in a closed-loop system: heat vaporizes the fluid, which expands to spin a custom-engineered turbine and drive a generator, then condenses back into liquid with no consumables and no emissions. Initial deployments are targeting geothermal sites and waste heat recovery from data center gas turbines.

What sets Critical Energy apart is its aerospace-inspired approach to energy hardware. The team, which brings over 50 years of combined SpaceX experience, has applied rocket engine design principles - particularly turbomachinery expertise from programs like Falcon Heavy, Starship, and Raptor - to build high-performance turbines for geothermal applications. Their modular units start at 2.5 MW and scale to 5 MW per module, are factory-assembled in standard shipping containers, and are designed to be adaptable across a wide range of heat sources and temperature conditions. The first commercial installation is scheduled for 2027 at an existing geothermal site.

Critical Energy sits at a critical juncture in the US energy supply chain: the rapid growth of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) is creating a significant shortage of compatible, fast-to-deploy turbines. By solving this bottleneck with a scalable, factory-built hardware model, Critical Energy aims to unlock gigawatt-scale clean, dispatchable, 24/7 baseload power - addressing both grid reliability concerns and the surging electricity demand from AI-driven data centers. The company's long-term ambition is to manufacture 300 GW of turbine capacity per year by 2045, positioning it as a foundational systems integrator in the next wave of American clean energy infrastructure.