Matt Cooper, a Colorado native and father of three who worked in the coal mining industry for decades, shifted to a much more eco-friendly career after learning the coal plant would close by the end of the decade.
He decided to start a geothermal drilling business, which is perfect since many skills from the dirty fuel industry transfer to geothermal projects, as Canary Media reported.
Once Cooper realized he'd be out of work before long, he started researching his options and discovered that geothermal has huge potential in Colorado, especially since it's backed by incentives from the state and federal governments.
Also, in 2023, Gov. Jared Polis launched the "Heat Beneath Our Feet" campaign to examine and promote geothermal energy development across the state, per CPR News.
As the Energy Information Administration noted, coal production has been declining across the United States over the past two decades, largely due to the rise of renewable energy sources and the decline in natural gas prices.
With the coal plant where Cooper worked set to shut down in 2028, according to the Colorado Sun, he knew it was time to plan for the next career move.
Geothermal energy can be used in many ways, from heating and cooling buildings to generating electricity to even district heating, which is piped to multiple buildings in a neighborhood.
Cooper has plenty of experience operating heavy machinery, which will be useful at his new gig: High Altitude Geothermal, which he launched in 2024.
He's not alone in the endeavor, having help from his whole family, including his wife, daughter, and two sons, both of whom are coal miners.
Cooper's new business will support Colorado's goal to become fossil-fuel-free by 2050. With its other six coal plants set to shut down by the end of 2030, it's the perfect time for others in the oil and gas industry to transition to geothermal.
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Lower energy bills 💰 But, unfortunately, it's not all sunny news for those who were employed as coal miners, as geothermal is just now taking off in Colorado.
Canary Media noted that Moffat County, where Cooper is a resident, will bear the brunt of the closures, as the local coal plant accounted for one-third of property taxes in 2022.
Thankfully, Colorado has created programs to help, including the Office of Just Transition, which supports workers in finding new jobs, providing training, and financial counseling. It also offers community assistance grants for coal communities.
While Cooper is still grieving the loss of the coal industry, he's optimistic about the new geothermal opportunity.
According to Canary Media, geothermal heat pumps the "most efficient way to warm and cool buildings," since they take advantage of the stable temperature of the Earth at roughly 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooper added that geothermal heat pumps also benefit the entire grid, as they produce heat continuously rather than in spurts, helping reduce electricity costs and demand spikes.
His business is Moffat County's first, and it will also provide services to neighboring counties — in total, three-quarters of Colorado's coal mining employees live in the area, and the geothermal plant will likely give some of them a fresh start.
"Hiring displaced coal workers was part of Matt's 'why' for starting this business," Kristine, his wife, said. "He wanted to be part of the solution for the employment of these individuals.
"It works wonderfully well," Cooper added, referring to the transition to geothermal energy.
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