Sponsors (3)
The bill speeds and lowers the cost of state‑permitted geothermal development and preserves federal royalty revenue, at the cost of reduced federal environmental and cultural reviews and a shift of oversight responsibilities to states with variable protections.
Utilities and energy developers and state governments can begin qualifying geothermal exploration and production after 30 days and avoid duplicative federal permitting, lowering compliance costs and speeding project starts — enabling faster local energy development and potential job growth.
Taxpayers continue to receive federal royalty revenue from electricity and geothermal byproducts because federal royalty obligations are preserved.
Local communities, wildlife, and ecosystems face greater risk because qualifying projects are exempted from NEPA and ESA Section 7 reviews, removing federal environmental review that could identify or mitigate harms to species and habitats.
Tribal communities and local governments risk damage to cultural and historic resources because NHPA protections are limited unless a State lacks its own historic‑preservation law.
Curtailing federal oversight shifts responsibility for environmental and cultural protections to states with varying standards, creating inconsistent protections across states.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Limits Interior’s authority to require Federal drilling permits and certain Federal reviews for qualifying geothermal projects when the U.S. owns <50% of the subsurface and a State permit is filed, while preserving royalties and inspection rights.
Official title: Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act of 2026
Introduced September 26, 2025 by Young Kim · Last progress April 28, 2026
Bars the Interior Department from requiring a Federal drilling permit for geothermal exploration and production on non‑Federal surface estates when the United States owns less than 50% of the subsurface geothermal estate and the operator has filed a State permit. It also exempts those activities from being treated as a major Federal action under NEPA, removes federal ESA section 7 consultation requirements, limits NHPA review to situations where the State has no historic‑preservation law, preserves royalty obligations to the United States, allows Federal on‑site inspections for production and royalty accountability, and explicitly excludes Indian lands and trust resources.