A House Natural Resources subcommittee will debate three energy bills this week, including bipartisan legislation supporters say could revolutionize geothermal energy.
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on Tuesday will also discuss draft legislation from Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt to require the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to update how it collects offshore oil and gas development data.
But the highlights of Tuesday’s hearing are two bills designed to expand renewable energy. The bipartisan H.R. 8665 targets “supercritical” geothermal development.
The process involves drilling 2.5 miles or more underground and injecting water into rock formations heated by the Earth’s core to temperatures as high as 750 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid is then brought up to the surface and used to produce steam that can power electric generators.
