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House Natural Resources Committee advances geothermal bills, reports HR 55 76 and HR 55 87 to the House
Summary
At a full committee markup, the House Natural Resources Committee adopted an amendment and voted to report two geothermal bills — HR 55 76 and HR 55 87 — to the House, while also agreeing to a 14-bill unanimous-consent package that included additional geothermal reforms.
Chair Westerman opened the markup saying the committee would consider two bills "that will expand access to America's geothermal energy resources," and described federal permitting and NEPA reviews as major impediments to development.
The committee advanced HR 55 76, the Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act introduced by Representative Fulcher, adopting an amendment in the nature of a substitute and ordering the bill reported to the House with a recorded tally of 21 ayes and 16 nays. Representative Fulcher described the amendment as removing the Department of the Interior's requirement to survey priority areas, saying it would let private companies perform that work and reduce resource drains on DOI.
Ranking Member Huffman opposed the underlying bill and offered an amendment (Huffman #1) that would have struck the bill's statutory NEPA waiver and instead directed the Department of the Interior to develop categorical exclusions within one year. Huffman argued agency staff are better positioned to set technical thresholds and guardrails; the Huffman amendment failed in a recorded vote (ayes 16, nays 21). Chair Westerman said the Fulcher amendment preserves the bill's goal of streamlining reviews and the committee adopted Fulcher's ANS.
The committee also considered HR 55 87, the Harnessing Energy at Thermal Sources (HEATs) Act, and adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute before ordering the bill reported to the House by recorded tally (ayes 23, nays 15). Proponents said HR 55 87 would reduce duplicative federal permitting for geothermal operations sited on nonfederal surface lands when the federal subsurface interest is below 50 percent; opponents warned that removing federal permits could eliminate NEPA, NHPA and ESA protections and reduce opportunities for public and tribal input.
Chair Westerman said the two bills and related measures are part of a broader bipartisan effort to streamline geothermal permitting and improve agency coordination. The committee also approved by unanimous consent a 14-bill package that included several geothermal items — such as the Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act (HR 301), the Geothermal Cost Recovery Authority Act (HR 398), and the Geothermal Royalty Reform Act — and additional measures including the Save Our Sequoias Act.
The committee recessed to record votes and, after the tallies, the chair laid motions to reconsider on the table. With no further business, the committee adjourned.
