A note from Zeyneb

As waves of change rock the world, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the strangest years I have lived through. Wishes matter in uncertain times, so I’ll start with one of mine. I sincerely hope that by the end of this year, we will have, together, steered the HEET ship not into the nearest safe harbor, but onward towards that better world we must build for the generations after us. There is still open water ahead of us, and we are getting our sea legs in this rockier sea!

You may have heard that the new U.S. Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, has an understanding and appreciation of the geothermal opportunity, and that geothermal heat has been recognized as a key energy resource. While we are pleased that federal geothermal leadership is expected to continue, many programs and funds are still on hold, the geothermal tax credits are at risk, and a significant portion of the HEET 2025 budget remains uncertain. Sea legs or not, rations do determine how far we can go, so we will be relaunching our #ThinkThermalTogether campaign next month.

There is enough news to read that worries, so I most want to share that I am hopeful. I believe HEET is a boat built for such times. With a little luck and persistence, we could even catch some big waves or big wind that is going in the right direction. Of course, waves or no waves, charting a course to a destination none of us have been to, from a place none of us have been in before, is the special kind of navigation our organization is designed for. It requires a clear north star, a continuous effort to collect and curate both scientific and social data, and a fabulous crew that strives, along the way, to be the better world we are seeking. In other words, we got this. Let’s go!

So much gratitude to all of you for being part of HEET’s story and a special hat tip to those of you who helped us get to where we are.

- Zeyneb