Sponsors (6)
The bill makes it easier and faster for developers to build geothermal projects—potentially lowering energy costs and expanding renewables—but does so by aligning geothermal with oil-and-gas NEPA procedures, which may reduce local oversight and environmental review.
Utilities and energy developers can pursue geothermal projects under the same NEPA treatment as oil and gas, which is likely to speed permitting and deployment of geothermal infrastructure.
Rural communities and utilities may benefit from expanded geothermal generation over time, increasing renewable supply and putting downward pressure on electricity prices.
Rural communities and local environments could face increased environmental risks because some geothermal projects may receive less rigorous NEPA review when treated like oil and gas.
Local governments and residents may lose decision-making influence over site selection and project impacts due to streamlined or expedited federal review processes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds geothermal energy to statutory NEPA references that previously covered only oil and gas and inserts additional unspecified text into the same provision.
Amends a provision of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to include geothermal energy alongside oil and gas in statutory references to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review. The bill replaces two occurrences of language listing only oil and gas so that geothermal is explicitly covered and also inserts additional unspecified text into the same provision. The practical effect is to make geothermal projects subject to the same NEPA-related statutory wording that has applied to oil and gas. That could change how federal agencies apply review or timing rules to geothermal permits, but the full impact is uncertain because the content of the inserted text was not provided.
Introduced February 6, 2025 by Susie Lee · Last progress February 6, 2025