There’s an old saying in the industry: “If you want to understand the world’s future, look underground.” That’s never been truer than it is today.

Across the U.S. and around the globe, the water, mining, and geothermal sectors are evolving fast — reshaped by climate demands, technological progress, and a new wave of public scrutiny. From rural groundwater access to critical mineral mining to the rise of geothermal as a clean-energy darling, the subterranean industries are at a major crossroads. 

And as someone who’s spent the past year reporting on these sectors, I can say this: the stakes have never been higher — or more interesting.

Water Wells: The Backbone

Let’s start with the humble water well — the backbone of rural water infrastructure. 

From family farms in California’s Central Valley to remote Indigenous communities in the Southwest, groundwater access is literally life-sustaining. But as the climate crisis accelerates, wells are being pushed to the brink.

Thanks to record-breaking droughts in recent years, more families are drilling deeper — and spending more — to reach dwindling aquifers. In some places, that means groundwater is dropping several feet a year. And yet, regulations around private wells remain patchy at best. Regulation around private wells has been a local and state concern while quickly moving to an interstate to federal concern.  

There is some progress. States like Arizona and Nevada are rolling out updated groundwater management plans, and there’s been a small uptick in federal funding for rural water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But let’s be real: it’s a race against time. Without more aggressive policy — and better groundwater monitoring — we’re likely heading toward what some scientists are calling "the invisible water crisis."

And here’s where the industry comes in: drillers and hydrologists are increasingly advocating for sustainable groundwater development, working with regulators to balance access with conservation. That’s a big shift from even a decade ago. 

However, there’s still a wide gulf between intention and enforcement.

Mining: Critical Minerals, Critical Questions

If water wells are about survival, mining is about geopolitics. In 2025, the mining sector is caught between two narratives: one, that we need mining more than ever to transition away from fossil fuels; and two, that traditional mining remains one of the most ecologically destructive industries on the planet.

Both are true.

The push for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements has turbocharged exploration and extraction efforts — especially in places like Nevada, Utah, and northern Canada. These are the ingredients that power electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. Without them, the clean energy transition simply doesn’t happen.

But as we rush to secure supply chains, mining’s social and environmental costs are hard to ignore. Take the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada — hailed as a key domestic supply source, but also the subject of fierce opposition from Indigenous groups and environmental activists. Their concern: destruction of sacred land and long-term water contamination. And they have a point. The mining industry has a long history of prioritizing profit over people and places.

That said, there are promising signs of a new mining ethos emerging — one that focuses on responsible sourcing, circular economies, and better consultation with local communities. Some mining operators and drilling companies are already experimenting with state-of-the-art, environmentally responsible practices, proving that cleaner extraction is possible. Still, because such efforts aren’t yet backed by consistent regulation, these approaches remain scattered rather than standard. The Biden administration’s 2024 Critical Minerals Strategy even ties federal incentives to social and environmental performance metrics.

Still, as mining giants and junior exploration firms pour billions into the ground, the big question remains: Can mining be truly sustainable? Or is that just greenwashing dressed in high-vis gear.

Geothermal: The Quiet Giant

Now, here’s where things get exciting.

After decades of being the overlooked middle child of the clean energy family, geothermal energy is having a moment — and it’s about time. Long considered a niche power source confined to places like Iceland or parts of California, geothermal is now being reimagined as a scalable, 24/7, zero-emissions energy solution.

And guess what? It’s working. “This very well may be geothermal’s breakout moment,” said Jamie Beard, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Project InnerSpace.

#1. Hot Rock Geothermal: Power Generation

Many of the same drilling technologies developed by the oil and gas industry are now being repurposed to tap into the Earth’s heat anywhere, including Texas, Utah, and even parts of the Midwest.

So, what exactly is hot rock geothermal?

• Purpose: To generate electricity for large areas or even entire communities.

• Mechanism: Water is injected deep underground, where it turns to steam from extremely high temperatures (hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit) and drives turbines to produce electricity.

• Technology: Requires drilling deep into the earth to reach high-temperature reservoirs.

• Scale: Large, industrial projects with heavy capital investment.

• Availability: Limited to geologically active regions, though new tech is widening the map.

Right now, the U.S. has around 4 gigawatts of geothermal electricity in action — enough to cover just 0.4% of the nation’s use last year. The Department of Energy estimates that by 2050, geothermal could deliver as much as 90 gigawatts of steady, always-on power.

#2. Ground-Source Geothermal: Equitable Heating and Cooling

But hot rock projects are just one side of the story. Today there are about 65 utility-scale geothermal power plants projects nationwide. In Framingham, Massachusetts, companies are deploying new closed-loop and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) that dramatically expand where geothermal can work — no volcanoes or hot springs required.

The potential market for geothermal heating and cooling is much larger: a minimum of 80 million buildings. Meeting that goal will require not 65 companies, but an estimated 65,000 drillers and rigs.

So how does it work?

• Purpose: To heat and cool individual buildings efficiently.

• Mechanism: Instead of chasing deep steam reservoirs, ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) use underground pipe loops that transfer heat to and from the stable temperatures in the shallow ground.

• Technology: Smaller closed-loop systems circulate fluid through buried pipes, exchanging heat with the earth.

• Scale: Can serve a single home, a school, or even a neighborhood network.

• Availability: Almost anywhere, since shallow ground temperatures are consistent regardless of tectonic activity.

This distinction matters. Hot rock is about generating electricity at scale, while ground-source heat pumps are about cutting emissions at the building level.

For hot rock geothermal, startups still face high costs, long permitting delays, and sluggish grid buildout. For heating and cooling, the challenge is scaling up trained crews and financing installations.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) will eliminate the 25D clean energy tax credit at the end of 2025, cutting off rural homeowners from federal incentives to install ground-source heat pumps. But the 48L commercial credit remains, along with leasing options and utility-led thermal energy networks — making geothermal heating and cooling more accessible in suburban and urban markets, even as rural adoption lags.

Geothermal is roaring on two fronts:

• Hot rock geothermal for grid-scale, always-on renewable electricity.

• Ground-source heating and cooling for homes and buildings across America.

Both require drilling. Both offer massive opportunities for existing skilled trades. And both, if scaled, could transform geothermal from the overlooked middle child of clean energy into the backbone of a just, zero-carbon future.

So where does that leave us?

The underground industries — water, mining, geothermal — are all at inflection points. Water scarcity is forcing hard choices. Mining is essential but ethically fraught. Geothermal is bursting with promise but still needs scale and support.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: we’re finally connecting the dots between what happens underground and what happens above it — to the climate, to communities, and to our collective future. And as a journalist who's talked to drillers, miners, scientists, and activists alike, I can say this much: there’s no easy path forward, but there is one worth building — cleaner, fairer, and far more exciting than what came before.