How a former Shell executive became a clean energy CEO

Cindy Taff, a former vice president at Shell, left her 36-year career in the oil and gas industry to join Sage Geosystems, a geothermal company, as its chief operating officer. Her decision was influenced by her daughter Brianna, who was passionate about renewable energy and had interned at Sage. Taff had previously suggested that Shell pursue geothermal energy, but the company declined, citing the time it would take to recoup the investment. At Sage, Taff is now working to develop geothermal energy, which harnesses the Earth's natural heat to generate electricity. The company has two main technologies, one that makes electricity out of heat and another that can store energy by pumping water into underground fractures. Sage envisions its technology being used to store energy at solar and wind farms, allowing for a more efficient and sustainable energy grid. The company has raised $30 million and is working on several projects, including a geothermal energy storage system in Texas and partnerships with the US military and tech companies. Taff believes that geothermal energy has the potential to play a big role in cleaning and stabilizing the electrical grid, and she is excited to be working in a field that she feels is on the cusp of transformation. The US Energy Department estimates that geothermal projects like Sage's could provide enough energy to power 65 million homes by 2050. Taff's daughter Brianna is now the operations engineer and spokesperson at Sage, and she is glad her mother made the switch from oil and gas.