Geothermal Energy Advancement Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5631
- 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
- 2026-06-09T05:38:26Z
AI-Generated Summary
Geothermal Energy Advancement Act (H.R. 5631)
Purpose
The legislation aims to promote responsible geothermal energy development on public lands by streamlining permitting processes, providing cost-recovery mechanisms, updating operational guidelines, and facilitating inter-office coordination within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Key Provisions
- Processing of applications amid litigation: Amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to require the Secretary of the Interior to approve or deny geothermal drilling permits, sundry notices, notices to proceed, rights-of-way, and related authorizations within 60 days after completing all applicable federal reviews (including NEPA, Endangered Species Act, and historic preservation laws), even if civil actions are pending, unless a federal court intervenes.
- Cost recovery: Authorizes the Secretary to require geothermal lease applicants or holders to reimburse the United States for reasonable administrative, processing, inspection, and monitoring costs through September 30, 2033. Adjustments are permitted for economic hardship or to encourage greater resource use; recovered funds are credited as discretionary offsetting collections for future permitting and oversight.
- Reporting requirement: Mandates a report to Congress within five years assessing the effects of the cost-recovery provision on the BLM geothermal program, including recommendations for reauthorization.
- Updated operational guidelines: Requires identification and publication of an updated "Gold Book" (Surface Operating Standards and Guidelines) incorporating geothermal-specific procedures for leasing, permitting, exploration, construction, drilling, and compliance. The document must be renamed and revised at least every five years.
- Geothermal Ombudsman and Permitting Task Force: Establishes a Geothermal Ombudsman within BLM to serve as a liaison, provide dispute resolution, monitor processing timelines, develop best practices, and coordinate with the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. Creates a supporting Task Force that may reassign personnel across offices with retention allowances (up to 25% of basic pay) under specified conditions.
- Royalty adjustments: Modifies royalty calculations for geothermal electric generating facilities to apply the reduced rate for the 10-year period following the facility's in-service date (rather than the first 10 years of production under the lease) and clarifies that facilities sharing a turbine are treated as a single facility.
- NEPA streamlining: Extends existing categorical exclusions and streamlined review provisions from the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to geothermal resource exploration and development under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces new subsection (h) to Section 4 and subsection (j) to Section 6 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.
- Adds definitions for "geothermal electric generating facility" and "in-service date" to Section 2 of the Geothermal Steam Act.
- Amends royalty provisions in Section 5(a)(1) of the Geothermal Steam Act.
- Expands the scope of Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to include geothermal activities.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Accelerates BLM permitting timelines, enables cost recovery to offset expenses, creates new internal coordination roles, and requires periodic guideline updates and reports.
- Citizens and industry: May reduce delays for geothermal project developers while preserving environmental review requirements; could increase domestic geothermal energy production on federal lands.
- International relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders
- Bureau of Land Management and Department of the Interior.
- Geothermal energy developers and lease holders.
- Congressional committees (Natural Resources and Energy and Natural Resources).
- Other federal agencies involved in interagency consultations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill maintains existing judicial authority over leases and permits and explicitly requires compliance with NEPA and other environmental statutes. It focuses on administrative efficiency without altering underlying statutory environmental protections or creating new federal court powers.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (5)
Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3], Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2], Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3], Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
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: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-06-02: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H3760-3761)
- 2026-06-02: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- 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.
- 2026-06-02: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5631.
- 2026-06-02: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3760-3765)
- 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. 574.
- 2026-05-20: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-660.
- 2026-05-20: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-660.
- 2026-03-05: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) 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
Bill Versions
- Geothermal Energy Advancement Act — issued 2026-06-02 — PDF (20 pages)
- Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act — issued 2025-09-30 — PDF (8 pages)
- Geothermal Energy Advancement Act — issued 2026-06-03 — PDF (18 pages)
- Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (10 pages)