Geothermal energy plant with steam rising from machinery and piping arching over a roadway.

Oil skills and tech are driving Texas’s unexpected geothermal surge

Oilfield veterans and drilling technology are fueling a quiet geothermal energy boom in Texas, aiming to bring steady clean power to the grid while offering oil workers a new lease on their careers.

Saul Elbein reports for The Hill.


In short:

  • Oil and gas workers in Texas are transitioning to geothermal drilling, using the same tools and techniques that powered the fracking boom.
  • Enhanced geothermal startups are attracting investment and political support by positioning themselves as a stable, weatherproof power source.
  • These companies aim to meet rising electricity demand from data centers and crypto mines, but risk losing ground to natural gas if they can't scale fast.

Key quote:

“If geothermal doesn’t prove itself in this massive build-out to address data center demand, I worry that geothermal may never get off the ground.”

— Jamie Beard, founder of geothermal advocacy group Project InnerSpace

Why this matters:

As Texas grapples with the slow but steady decline of fossil fuel jobs, geothermal energy is emerging as a surprisingly promising contender in the state’s energy mix. Long known for its oil rigs and gas fields, Texas also sits on a deep reservoir of underground heat — one that could be tapped for clean, consistent power. Geothermal plants offer round-the-clock energy without the toxic emissions that accompany traditional drilling, and the work needed to build and maintain them often mirrors the skills of oilfield laborers. That overlap could soften the economic blow for communities historically tied to fossil fuels.

Still, questions remain about whether geothermal can grow quickly enough to keep pace with the state’s surging energy appetite — especially from data centers, AI infrastructure, and crypto mining hubs that demand nonstop electricity. If the industry can scale, geothermal could help Texas reduce its heavy reliance on gas-fired power, cutting air pollution while keeping the lights on in a digital-first economy. For now, it sits in a tense balancing act between potential and practicality.

Related: Texas turns to geothermal energy with former oil workers at the helm

A piece of wood with green leaves in the shape of the world's continents on it.

Trump administration’s shutdown of USAID devastates global conservation efforts

After a sweeping dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, conservation projects protecting wildlife, forests, and ecosystems across dozens of countries are collapsing due to funding cuts.

Adam Welz reports for Yale Environment 360.

Keep reading...Show less
Sunrise in the woods

Get our Good News newsletter

Get the best positive, solutions-oriented stories we've seen on the intersection of our health and environment, FREE every Tuesday in your inbox. Subscribe here today. Keep the change tomorrow.

Two nuclear towers in the distance with smoke emitting from them

Trump’s nuclear revival plan faces obstacles at Tennessee Valley Authority

The Trump administration's push for a nuclear energy renaissance faces internal turbulence at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), with leadership shake-ups and tariff policies threatening to slow progress rather than speed it up.

Gautama Mehta and Katie Myers report for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
A woman looks at a handmade journal that includes pressed flowers and leaves.

Independent bookshops are helping people fight climate despair with the right stories

In the UK, three indie bookstores are blending climate action and storytelling to help readers find hope, connection, and purpose in the face of planetary crisis.

Lottie Limb reports for Euronews.

Keep reading...Show less
A river runs between hills covered with trees displaying fall foliage colors.
Credit: Photo by Liz Guertin/Unsplash

Maryland’s conservation streak shows how far a small state can go

Maryland just became the first U.S. state to meet the “30 by 30” conservation goal — six years early — and it's already aiming for 40% by 2040.

Cara Buckley reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A woman stands in front of a garbage dump next to an abandoned building holding a poster that says "there is no planet b."

Environmental groups brace for a new era of fear and federal targeting

As the Trump administration sharpens its attacks on environmental nonprofits, Earthjustice president Abigail Dillen warns the movement is under threat like never before.

Sharon Lerner reports for ProPublica.

Keep reading...Show less
A copy of Pope Francis' Laudato Si encyclical propped against a wooden pew in a church with the pope's photo on the cover.
Credit: Johan Bergström-Allen / www.carmelite.org/FlickrCreative Commons Attribution 2.0 no restrictions

Pope Francis made climate change a moral crisis. Following his death, the world needs a new voice

Pope Francis turned the climate crisis into a global moral reckoning, but as the planet warms, his loss leaves a gaping hole in the fight for climate justice.

Chico Harlan reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
blue and white solar panels on green grass.

Clean energy tech is outpacing politics and reshaping the global power landscape

Even as the Trump administration moves to expand fossil fuels and slash climate regulations, clean energy industries are accelerating beyond the reach of political backlash.

The Vox climate team sets out to analyze the clean energy transition in a special, multi-story project.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.