Critical Energy raises $22 million to build modular geothermal turbines derived from rocket-engine tech

Critical Energy, founded by a former SpaceX engineer, has raised $22 million to develop modular geothermal turbines based on rocket-engine technology, with a first 2.5 megawatt project slated to come online in 2027. The company says oil and gas firms could scale geothermal development using their drilling expertise, but it expects a shortage of suitable turbines. The development is not positioned as a direct catalyst for Tesla—cited only as an analogy for vertical integration—and it does not change current crude oil supply-demand fundamentals.