The House is planning to vote on a bipartisan package of bills next week aimed at easing the permitting process for geothermal energy, a renewable power source lauded by Republicans and Democrats alike — as well as the Trump administration.
The package will include a mix of Republican-led and Democratic-authored bills that were approved by the House Natural Resources Committee in March via unanimous consent, said a Democratic aide granted anonymity to share planning details.
Among those bills are the “Geothermal Energy Opportunity (GEO) Act,”H.R. 301, from Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), which would require the Interior Department to process applications related to geothermal leases within 60 days of completing certain federal requirements.
Another bill, the “Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms (STEAM) Act,”H.R. 1077, led by Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), would expand language in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite National Environmental Policy Act reviews for certain geothermal activities.
