US bipartisan bill to expedite geothermal approval passes House deliberation

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan bill HR 6474 filed by Reps. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Susie Lee (D-NV) that seeks to speed up approval for geothermal exploration and development in previously studied and developed areas. The proposed legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for approval.

The legislation amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow for new categorical exclusions for geothermal projects, under permitting requirements set by the National Environmental Policy Act.

“Geothermal energy is a vital tool to make America more energy independent and less reliant on our adversaries. This legislation will provide a cleaner energy future and allow my home state of California to seize the reins as a leading national energy provider,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “I was honored to work with Representative Susie Lee to successfully pass this legislation through the House of Representatives and look forward to its passage in the Senate.”

“If we want to fully unleash our renewable energy potential, then we need to cut the red tape that has been a barrier to the growth of geothermal energy development,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I want to thank Congresswoman Steel for partnering on this commonsense, bipartisan bill to strengthen energy independence and help lower costs for the working families we represent.”

With California and Nevada leading the nation in geothermal energy production, the two states particularly stand to benefit from more growth opportunities possible under the provisions outlined in the legislation. According to 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California provides 66.6% of the nation’s geothermal power while Nevada provides 26.1%.

“America’s energy future requires an all-of-the-above strategy. Congresswoman Steel’s legislation that passed the House today will expedite geothermal energy projects and streamline development of our abundant geothermal energy sources right here in America. I applaud her for her thoughtful work on this issue and her forward-thinking legislative solution,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

Legislators in both state and federal levels have shown tremendous support for geothermal in the United States, with various proposed bills seeking to address common pain points in geothermal such as long permitting times and lack of funding.

Listen to Rep. Steel’s floor speech at the video below:

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Source: Email correspondence