Articles by John Oldani

Denver Water last drained Antero Reservoir during a drought in 2002. The reservoir was also emptied in 2015 to allow for dam rehabilitation work. Officials say refilling timelines will depend on future drought conditions.

This project also taps into an existing advantage: thousands of oil and gas wells that could potentially be repurposed. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is opening a new round of funding aimed at one of the most persistent challenges in the country’s water sector: 

Warmest winter on record and rapidly melting snow leave statewide snowpack at just 38% of average, threatening water supplies, agriculture, and wildfire conditions

The permits don’t guarantee the Buc-ee’s project will move forward, but they mark a key step—and ensure that, in a water-conscious region, the conversation around it is likely to continue.

NY-GEO still feels like a checkpoint — a place to compare notes, challenge assumptions, and measure progress honestly.

Breaking down the opportunities of geothermal from water conservation to a workforce opening new doors to lead the geothermal movement.

More frequent and intense heatwaves are becoming part of the operating landscape, not an exception to it.

In the West, water has never been just about infrastructure—it’s about priorities, tradeoffs, and how a region plans for an increasingly uncertain future.

Episode 158 of The Driller Newscast brings host Brock Yordy together with geothermal advocate John Ciovacco to unpack the biggest conversations coming out of the NY-GEO conference.