The Geothermal Drillers Association launches training

On April 27, the Geothermal Drillers Association launched a two-week, 80-hour training program for those interested in learning the skills needed to drill geothermal boreholes—an essential part of a networked geothermal system. Trained candidates will receive a Field Technician Readiness Certificate and have the opportunity for placement in paid apprenticeships. 

When HEET and Eversource first began work on building the nation’s first utility-run thermal energy network in Framingham, MA, one thing became very clear: The need for more geothermal drillers. Without them, there can be no boreholes—those holes around 500 feet deep, where a closed loop of pipe transports water down and back up, warming it to the temperature of the earth before pumping it throughout the network. 

In September 2024, HEET partnered with the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association and Brock Yordy, a master driller, to offer a two week intensive introductory course to geothermal drilling, supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The course trained seven students with the skills they need to safely and efficiently work on a geothermal borehole drilling team, beginning their drilling careers. 

Now, the Geothermal Drillers Association is gearing up to run the non-pilot training program. The training will include an introduction to the science behind geothermal boreholes and loop fields; the roles, requirements, and fundamentals of drilling boreholes; drilling disciplines and how they react to different subsurface conditions; and the lifecycle of the drilling process, from a single borehole to an entire borefield. Participants will also get to shadow the drilling of geothermal boreholes, from start to finish.