Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House subcommittee hears bipartisan package of nine bills to speed geothermal permitting
Summary
A House Natural Resources subcommittee heard bipartisan testimony supporting nine bills intended to streamline geothermal leasing and permitting on federal lands, with BLM and industry witnesses endorsing deadlines, categorical exclusions for limited exploration, an ombudsman and a 'gold book' of best practices; no votes were taken.
The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals Resources held a hearing on a nine‑bill package intended to accelerate geothermal energy development on federal lands.
Chair Stauber opened the hearing saying the United States needs new baseload power as demand rises and that cumbersome leasing and permitting on federal lands has prolonged project timelines. He cited a U.S. Geological Survey estimate that the Great Basin alone hosts about 135 gigawatts of geothermal potential and said federal geothermal projects may require up to six separate NEPA reviews and can take “up to 10 years.” The chair framed the bills — including the Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act (GEO Act, HR 301), the Clean Act (HR 1687) and others — as measures to provide predictability and reduce duplicative delays.
Representative Ansari, the subcommittee’s ranking member, said geothermal delivers 24/7 carbon‑free power and expressed bipartisan support for many bills, emphasizing the need for a…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
