STEAM Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1077
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-20: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 570.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-29T16:06:22Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation The bill seeks to speed up geothermal exploration and development by extending existing streamlined review processes to projects in areas that have already been studied or developed for energy purposes.
Key Provisions Outlined
- Amends Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to include geothermal resources under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.
- Updates references in the law to cover geothermal alongside oil or gas in provisions related to review processes for exploration and development.
- Applies these changes specifically to previously studied or developed areas.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced
- Expands the scope of Section 390, which previously applied streamlined National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews (the federal law requiring assessment of environmental effects for major actions) only to oil and gas projects, to now include geothermal projects.
- Modifies two paragraphs in subsection (b) to insert "or geothermal" after references to oil or gas.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Federal agencies responsible for land management and environmental reviews may process geothermal permits more quickly in qualifying areas.
- On citizens: Could result in faster development of geothermal energy resources in certain regions.
- On international relations: No direct effects are specified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Geothermal energy developers and companies seeking to explore or produce resources on federal lands.
- Federal agencies involved in energy permitting and environmental compliance.
- Communities and landowners near previously studied energy sites where geothermal projects may occur.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Integrates geothermal energy into an existing framework for expedited reviews of oil and gas activities, potentially altering how NEPA applies to certain renewable energy projects without changing the underlying constitutional authority for federal land management.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (5)
Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. Gray, Adam [D-CA-13], Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-20: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 570.
- 2026-05-20: Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-656.
- 2026-05-20: Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-656.
- 2026-03-05: Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
- 2026-03-05: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-03-05: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged
- 2025-12-16: Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 2025-12-09: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
- 2025-02-06: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 2025-02-06: Introduced in House
- 2025-02-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act — issued 2025-02-06 — PDF (2 pages)
- Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (4 pages)