GDA, HEET Secure MassCEC Grants to Expand Geothermal Workforce Training

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A pair of state grants is set to give a boost to geothermal workforce training in Massachusetts, with the Geothermal Drillers Association (GDA) and the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) teaming up to expand access to the field.

A Church’s Geothermal Experiment Could Pave the Way for Projects Across New York

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

High costs, crowding and less-than-ideal land conditions make geothermal installations in downstate New York difficult—but not impossible.

The TEN Playbook: Load, Risk, and ROI

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Drilling costs more upfront than rooftop boilers and chillers. But TENs shift the financial equation from CapEx to long-term OpEx, compliance, and asset value.

Navigating the New Grid: The Thermal Energy Movement

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Geothermal uncertainty has gone beyond subsurface dynamics into the deep, dark depths of legislation and policymaking.

Geothermal's Future: Drillers Saving Water

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:30:00 -0400

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

$889M Western Water Investment Moves Forward—But Bigger Questions Remain

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

New Report Examines Environmental Policy Changes One Year Into Trump’s Second Term

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:02:00 -0400

Researchers note that many of the policy changes are recent and their long-term environmental effects remain uncertain.

Vertical Turbine Pumps: Advanced Engineering Solutions Ensure Reliable Performance

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Vertical turbine pumps represent a well-established and reliable technology that has stood the test of time.

Colorado River Negotiators Are Nearly Out of Time and Snowpack

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:00:00 -0500

With another federal deadline only weeks away and record-low snowfall further drying out the watershed, states have begun talking about whether they are prepared for litigation.

A Driller's Life: Safety at Home

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Entry number 8 of Jim Beath's engrossing series - this one is about safety on and off the rig.

Coal Is Back (Again)

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Department of Energy wants you to know one thing loud and clear: coal is not going quietly into the energy-transition night.

Michigan’s Other Water Crisis: PFAS’s Prevalence in Private Wells

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Ahead of the curve when it comes to testing city water for PFAS, Michigan has met its match with the state’s over one million private wells, urging residents to get their water tested.

2025 is Over - Now What?

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

2025 was a watershed year for the drilling and water industries, marked by progress, pressure, and promise.

A Christmas Story - or Something of the Sort

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Thanks for taking the time to read this story, I hope you liked it. Until next time, remember to never take too many sudafeds, or tamper with nasal spray bottles.

This is a Lie Based on a True Drilling Story

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

From Army basic training to broken rigs, green lights, and the people who shaped a driller for life.

Invasive Scud Is Threatening the Great Lakes

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Long-polluted waterways near Chicago are part of a system of natural and manmade barriers keeping invasive crustaceans at bay, a recent study suggests.

What 2025 Taught Me About Change, Community, and the Future of Drilling

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

It’s been a tough year for small businesses, owner-operators, and the folks out in the field. Personally, this year challenged me too, just in a different way.

The Driller's Progress: 5,000 Years of Fueling Civilization

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Cloud Data, Streaming Internet, and Artificial Intelligence have needs that require water and energy at increasing demand, which cannot be met without drilling more wells and boreholes throughout the country.

A Driller's Life: Heat, Hard Lessons, and Florida Grit

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:00:00 -0500

Thanks for taking the time to read this story, I hope you enjoyed it, and until next time, work hard for what you want, and if you don't know what you want just work hard.

International Energy Report Projects a Slower Transition to Renewables

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:25:33 -0500

A new report from the International Energy Agency says renewable energy is surging ahead, but natural gas demand could peak five years later than it forecasted last year.

Ditching the Mesh: Mines Can Reduce Water Consumption and Save Costs with Printed Spacers on RO Membranes

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Mining operations are often scrutinized for their excessive use of resources including water, energy, and land.

Pacific Institute Report Finds Sharp Rise in Water-Related Violence Worldwide

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:00:00 -0500

A new analysis from the Pacific Institute shows that violence involving water resources has climbed to its highest level on record, continuing a steep upward trend that has accelerated over the past several years.

Texas Sent $223 Million to Rural Communities to Fix Water Infrastructure

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Texas voters will decide Tuesday whether the state should continue spending $1 billion a year to secure the state’s water supply. Part of that investment will be spent to find new water supply.

‘Burning Money’: Dept. of Energy Directs $100 Million to Modernize Declining Coal Plants

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Between 2013 and 2024, forced-outage rates for coal exceeded those for other major sources of electricity, including gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power, according to a report by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

Global Water Resources Adds Christa Steele to Board

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Global Water owns and operates 39 water, wastewater, and recycled water systems, primarily in high-growth corridors around Phoenix and Tucson.

As AI Infrastructure Expands, Demand for Gold and Silver Tightens Supply Chains

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

These developments illustrate how the growth of AI is tied directly to physical materials.

From Garbage Truck to Glory: Building the Big Rig

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

I’ve made holes of every kind, distillation shafts, dewatering shafts, ventilation shafts , mast arm shafts, injection wells.

The EPA Let Companies Estimate Their Own Pollution Levels

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Some big polluters were allowed to estimate their emissions using methods the government knew were often unreliable.

EPA Proposes Revisions to PFAS Reporting Rules

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

EPA’s new proposal steps directly into that tension and invites another round of discussion about how best to regulate a class of chemicals that remains both widely used and deeply scrutinized.

Lawmakers Press EPA for $3B in Stalled Lead Pipe Replacement Funds

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

“The federal government politicizing access to safe drinking water is an all-time low,” Sims said. “It’s encouraging to see our Illinois congressional leaders stand up for communities.”

Featured Stories

GDA, HEET Secure MassCEC Grants to Expand Geothermal Workforce Training

A Church’s Geothermal Experiment Could Pave the Way for Projects Across New York

The TEN Playbook: Load, Risk, and ROI

Navigating the New Grid: The Thermal Energy Movement

Geothermal's Future: Drillers Saving Water

$889M Western Water Investment Moves Forward—But Bigger Questions Remain

New Report Examines Environmental Policy Changes One Year Into Trump’s Second Term

Vertical Turbine Pumps: Advanced Engineering Solutions Ensure Reliable Performance

Colorado River Negotiators Are Nearly Out of Time and Snowpack

A Driller's Life: Safety at Home

Coal Is Back (Again)

Michigan’s Other Water Crisis: PFAS’s Prevalence in Private Wells

2025 is Over - Now What?

A Christmas Story - or Something of the Sort

This is a Lie Based on a True Drilling Story

Invasive Scud Is Threatening the Great Lakes

What 2025 Taught Me About Change, Community, and the Future of Drilling

The Driller's Progress: 5,000 Years of Fueling Civilization

A Driller's Life: Heat, Hard Lessons, and Florida Grit

International Energy Report Projects a Slower Transition to Renewables

Ditching the Mesh: Mines Can Reduce Water Consumption and Save Costs with Printed Spacers on RO Membranes

Pacific Institute Report Finds Sharp Rise in Water-Related Violence Worldwide

Texas Sent $223 Million to Rural Communities to Fix Water Infrastructure

‘Burning Money’: Dept. of Energy Directs $100 Million to Modernize Declining Coal Plants

Global Water Resources Adds Christa Steele to Board

As AI Infrastructure Expands, Demand for Gold and Silver Tightens Supply Chains

From Garbage Truck to Glory: Building the Big Rig

The EPA Let Companies Estimate Their Own Pollution Levels

EPA Proposes Revisions to PFAS Reporting Rules

Lawmakers Press EPA for $3B in Stalled Lead Pipe Replacement Funds