Lets some geothermal energy projects skip federal permits and environmental reviews.
This bill would make it easier for certain geothermal energy projects to get started by removing the need for a federal drilling permit and exempting them from some major federal environmental laws. This applies to projects on non-federal land where the U.S. government owns less than half of the underground geothermal resources, as long as a state permit is obtained. The goal is to speed up the process for these specific energy developments.
Today, geothermal operators generally need a federal drilling permit and must comply with federal environmental laws like NEPA and the Endangered Species Act for projects on lands where the U.S. government has an ownership interest. After this bill, for projects on non-federal land where the U.S. government owns less than 50 percent of the underground geothermal resources, operators would only need a state permit and would be exempt from these federal permit and environmental review requirements, potentially allowing projects to start within 30 days of submitting a state permit.
HR 5587 · 119th Congress · September 26, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 10/10
Sign in to see your representatives' phone numbers
9 filings mentioned this bill
Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.