Selective electrode usage for directional pulse power drilling from a single power source

A system to perform directional pulse power drilling, the system comprising:

• a pulse power drill string to be positioned in a borehole formed in a subsurface formation, the pulse power drill string to directionally drill the borehole at an angle that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the borehole and based on periodic pulses of an electrical discharge into the subsurface formation, the pulse power drill string comprising:
• an upper body having a longitudinal axis that is substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the borehole, wherein the upper body comprises,
• an electrical source to generate an electrical energy;
• and
• a primary capacitor to store the electrical energy, wherein the electrical energy stored in the primary capacitor is to be periodically discharged;
• and
• an electrode assembly positioned below the upper body and at a bottom end of the pulse power drill string, the electrode assembly comprising,
• a switching device having an input and a number of outputs, wherein the input is electrically coupled to receive the electrical energy periodically discharged from the primary capacitor;
• and
• a number of electrodes, wherein each output of the number of outputs of the switching device is electrically coupled to an electrode of the number of electrodes,
• wherein the switching device is to select a subset of the number of electrodes to receive the electrical energy to alter a direction of the drilling of the borehole based on emitting the electrical energy by the selected subset of the number of electrodes into the subsurface formation.