Geothermal energy projects would face fewer federal permits and environmental reviews on certain lands.
This bill would make it easier for companies to develop geothermal energy projects on certain lands. It would remove the need for a federal drilling permit and reduce federal environmental and historic preservation reviews for these projects. This could speed up how quickly new geothermal energy sources are developed.
Today, geothermal exploration and production activities on federal lands or where the U.S. has significant subsurface ownership generally require a federal drilling permit. These activities are also subject to reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. If this bill becomes law, companies would only need a state permit for certain projects. This applies to projects on non-federal surface land where the U.S. owns less than 50% of the subsurface geothermal resources. These projects would also be exempt from federal environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. They would also largely be exempt from the National Historic Preservation Act.
S 4975 · 119th Congress · July 14, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 10/10
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