Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on proposals to improve geothermal permitting and leasing practices. Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) issued the following statement in response:

“America has vast geothermal resources that can provide reliable, baseload clean energy and create good-paying jobs that will power our 21^st Century economy. Today’s hearing highlights the need to streamline our permitting system and break down the barriers that are unnecessarily holding back our great geothermal potential on federal lands. I’m proud to support these bills before the subcommittee today and look forward to the full committee's consideration and advancement of these bills.”

Background

H.R. 301, the Geothermal Energy Opportunity (GEO) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), requires the Department of the Interior (DOI) to review all geothermal authorizations within 60 days.

H.R. 1687, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now (CLEAN) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), amends the Geothermal Stream Act of 1970 to require the Secretary of the Interior to hold geothermal energy lease sales annually. It also implements timelines for permit applications.

H.R. 5576, the Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), exempts low-impact geothermal exploration projects from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. It would also require DOI to designate geothermal leasing priority areas on federal lands and reevaluate the covered lands every ten years.

H.R. 5587, the Harnessing Energy at Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), clarifies that geothermal operations on non-federal lands are not subject to NEPA when the federal government owns less than 50 percent of the subsurface geothermal estate, and receives a drilling permit from the respective state.

H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), appoints a Geothermal Ombudsman from within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to liaise between field offices and the BLM Director. The Ombudsman would provide dispute resolution services, monitor permit processing, develop best practices, and coordinate with the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC). It also establishes a Geothermal Permitting Task Force comprising expert personnel from any DOI bureau or office, selected by the Ombudsman.

H.R. 5638, the Geothermal Royalty Reform Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), clarifies that geothermal facilities on the same lease pay different royalties based on each individual facility’s time in service.

H.R. 398, the Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), gives DOI authority to collect certain fees regarding the processing of applications for geothermal leases on federal lands and inspection and monitoring of geothermal exploration and development activities.

H.R. 1077, the Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms (STEAM) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep Susie Lee (D-Nev.), extends NEPA categorical exclusions available to oil and gas activities to geothermal development on certain lands.

H.R. 5617, the Geothermal Gold Book Development Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), would provide guidance to agency staff by requiring BLM to publish best practices for geothermal leasing and permitting.

For more information on the hearing, click here.