Nothing on the surface of this scrubby expanse of western Nevada desert, overlooked by towering, craggy mountains, gives even a hint of what lies beneath. But a few thousand feet underground is a hidden source of abundant clean energy — and it was discovered in an unusual way.

Utah-headquartered startup Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals announced last week it had used artificial intelligence to locate a 250-degree Fahrenheit geothermal reservoir under this stretch of land. They named it “Big Blind,” because this kind of site — which has no visual indication of its existence, no hot springs or geysers above ground, and no history of geothermal exploration — is known as a “blind” system.

It’s the first industry-discovered blind site in more than three decades, said Carl Hoiland, co-found

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