Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
This bill, the Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act, aims to speed up the exploration for geothermal resources on federal lands. It modifies the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to streamline the process of drilling exploratory wells, reduce surface disturbance, and provide faster project completion timelines. The bill also establishes ‘geothermal leasing priority areas’ on federal land, designating specific locations for future geothermal development, and requires environmental reviews for these areas.
Key provisions
- Defines ‘geothermal exploration project’ with specific drilling and surface disturbance requirements.
- Designates ‘geothermal leasing priority areas’ on federal land, prioritizing areas for geothermal development.
- Exempts geothermal exploration projects and related activities from being considered ‘major Federal actions’ under the National Environmental Policy Act.
- Requires geothermal lease holders to provide notice of exploration projects at least 30 days in advance.
- Establishes a process for the Secretary to review and modify geothermal leasing priority areas every five years.
- Mandates a programmatic environmental impact statement for new geothermal leasing priority areas.
- Provides a 10-year timeframe for environmental analysis before requiring additional reviews.
- Recognizes categorical exclusions for geothermal exploration adopted by the Bureau of Land Management.
Who is affected
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