CLEAN Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1687
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-03: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-09T05:23:22Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation This Act amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to increase how often geothermal lease sales occur, require replacement sales if needed, mandate offering most nominated land parcels for lease, and establish deadlines for reviewing geothermal drilling permit applications.
Key Provisions
- Changes the required frequency of lease sales from every two years to annually.
- Requires the Secretary of the Interior to hold a replacement lease sale in the same year if an annual sale is canceled or delayed.
- Mandates that the Secretary offer 75 percent of eligible nominated parcels for lease, plus the remaining 25 percent unless a written justification based on statutory, environmental, or administrative reasons is provided.
- Sets a 30-day deadline for the Secretary to notify applicants whether a drilling permit application is complete or what information is missing.
- Requires the Secretary to issue a permit or defer the decision within 30 days after confirming the application is complete, including reasons for deferral and timelines for required actions.
- Limits deferred decisions to no more than 10 days after the applicant and agency complete the specified steps, with reference to existing National Environmental Policy Act timelines.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Replaces the two-year leasing cycle with an annual requirement and adds a mandatory replacement sale process.
- Introduces new percentage-based requirements for offering nominated parcels that did not previously exist.
- Adds specific deadlines and notice procedures for permit applications that were not part of the original Geothermal Steam Act.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Increases workload for the Department of the Interior to conduct more frequent lease sales and meet strict permit review timelines.
- On citizens and energy development: May speed up access to geothermal resources by reducing delays in leasing and permitting.
- No direct effects on international relations are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- The Secretary of the Interior and relevant federal agencies responsible for land management and permitting.
- Geothermal energy developers and companies submitting lease nominations or permit applications.
- States with geothermal resources and communities near potential development sites.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill references and incorporates timelines from the National Environmental Policy Act, which could affect how environmental reviews are scheduled.
- It creates new mandatory obligations on federal agencies without altering core constitutional authorities over public lands.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2], Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4], Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3], Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-03: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2026-06-02: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-06-02: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3758-3759)
- 2026-06-02: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3758-3759)
- 2026-06-02: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1687.
- 2026-06-02: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3758-3760)
- 2026-06-02: Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 2026-05-20: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 571.
- 2026-05-20: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-657.
- 2026-05-20: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-657.
- 2026-04-21: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent.
- 2026-04-21: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-04-21: 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.
Bill Versions
- Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act — issued 2026-06-02 — PDF (6 pages)
- Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act — issued 2025-02-27 — PDF (3 pages)
- Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act — issued 2026-06-03 — PDF (5 pages)
- Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (8 pages)