New bipartisan bill seeks faster permitting for geothermal in US public lands

Tungsten geothermal power plant, Nevada (source: screenshot, YouTube/ Ormat)

A new bipartisan bill introduced by US Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), James Risch, (R-Idaho), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) seeks make it easier for geothermal projects to get off the ground  by putting them on equal footing with oil and gas projects on public land, among a few other provisions. All of the sponsors of the bill are members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act of 2024 proposes several amendments to the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to speed up the process of review and approval of proposed geothermal projects on public land. The proponents recognize that geothermal projects currently require separate environmental reviews at every phase of development under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

According to a report conducted by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in 2014, one location for geothermal project development could trigger 6 different reviews and take 7-10 years to develop a project. In comparison, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from 2011 found that BLM field offices used a categorical exclusion to expedite the approval of 6900 oil and gas-related activities from 2006 to 2008.

The rapid deployment of oil and gas projects has greatly accelerated the advancement of drilling technologies, further driving down the cost of oil and gas production. The proponents of the bill seek to give this “learning by doing” advantage as well to the geothermal sector.

The major proposals under the bill are as follows:

• Introducing a categorical exclusion for geothermal exploration drilling and well-field development, putting it in parity with oil and gas in terms of permitting;
• Creating a Geothermal Ombudsman and Strike Team for technical assistance and dispute mediation to aid the field offices of the Bureau of Land Management, thus improving the performance of the permitting process and facilitating regional coordination between the field offices;
• Directing the Bureau of Land Management to hold geothermal lease sales more frequently, and expediting the leasing process.

The GEO Act of 2024 has similar objectives but a seemingly more expansive scope compared to the HR 6474 filed by Reps. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Susie Lee (D-NV). It is the latest in a number of legislative efforts in the US that seek to provide support for a developing geothermal sector, whether in the form of expedited permitting or increased funding.

Source: Catherine Cortez Masto