Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Amends the Geothermal Steam Act to allow the Interior Secretary (through Sept 30, 2032) to require geothermal lease applicants or holders to reimburse the United States for reasonable administrative and monitoring costs related to leasing, permitting, inspections, drilling, site construction, operation, termination, and reclamation. The Secretary may consider existing cost-share agreements, reduce fees for economic hardship or to promote resource use, and credits recovered amounts as discretionary offsetting collections available by appropriation.
Left emphasizes oversight funding and environmental monitoring benefits
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a clear, time-limited statutory authority to recover administrative costs for geothermal leasing and related activities and includes a follow-up reporting requirement, but it leaves out detailed procedural, definitional, and accountability mechanics that would be expected to support reliable and transparent execution.
Amends the Geothermal Steam Act to allow the Interior Secretary (through Sept 30, 2032) to require geothermal lease applicants or holders to reimburse the United States for reasonable administrative and monitoring costs related to leasing, permitting, inspections, drilling, site construction, operation, termination, and reclamation.
The Secretary may consider existing cost-share agreements, reduce fees for economic hardship or to promote resource use, and credits recovered amounts as discretionary offsetting collections available by appropriation.
A report assessing impacts and recommending reauthorization or updates is required within five years.
Narrow, temporary fee authority with oversight/reporting gives moderate chance, but passage depends on prioritization and appropriations approval.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a clear, time-limited statutory authority to recover administrative costs for geothermal leasing and related activities and includes a follow-up reporting requirement, but it leaves out detailed procedural, definitional, and accountability mechanics that would be expected to support reliable and transparent execution.
Left emphasizes oversight funding and environmental monitoring benefits
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Left emphasizes oversight funding and environmental monitoring benefits
Likely supportive overall because the bill provides dedicated funding for BLM oversight and monitoring, improving environmental protection capacity.
Concern remains that fee burdens could fall disproportionately on small or community-based projects unless mitigated.
Cautiously favorable if implemented with clear fee guidelines, transparency, and oversight.
Views it as pragmatic: user-pay improves permitting resources, but details on fee amounts, caps, and appropriation use matter.
Generally opposed because it authorizes new federal cost-recovery fees and expands regulatory authority, adding costs and potential delays to energy development.
Some support possible if fees demonstrably speed permitting and are minimal.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Narrow, temporary fee authority with oversight/reporting gives moderate chance, but passage depends on prioritization and appropriations approval.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Left emphasizes oversight funding and environmental monitoring benefits
Narrow, temporary fee authority with oversight/reporting gives moderate chance, but passage depends on prioritization and appropriations ap…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a clear, time-limited statutory authority to recover administrative costs for geothermal leasing and related activities and includes a follow-up reporting…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.