The House passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday aimed at easing permitting rules for developing geothermal energy — a renewable, baseload power source that has the support of Republicans, Democrats and the Trump administration.
The package includes a mix of Republican-led and Democratic-authored bills that House leaders compiled together as the “Geothermal Energy Advancement Act,” H.R. 5631, from Colorado Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd.
It passed by voice vote under suspension of the rules, a process to fast-track proposals with broad support. Geothermal energy has emerged as a major bipartisan priority in Washington, driven by the need to secure reliable baseload power for data centers and meet emissions reduction targets.
Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark) during debate called geothermal the “one resource that is uniquely positioned to help meet our growing energy demand in the western United States.”
