HEATS Act
Geothermal Energy: Faster Drilling Permits on Private Land
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill, introduced by Mrs. Kim, aims to speed up the development of geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is a clean power source that uses heat from deep underground to generate electricity.
- The policy would stop the federal government from requiring a drilling permit for projects on private land, as long as the government owns less than half of the underground resources. Instead, companies would only need to get a permit from the state government.
- To make things move faster, these projects would no longer have to go through long federal environmental reviews or follow certain federal endangered species rules. Once a company turns in its state permit to the federal government, it can start drilling in just 30 days.
- Even though the federal government would step back from the permitting process, it would still collect 'royalties,' which is a share of the money made from the energy produced. Federal officials would also keep the right to inspect these sites to make sure the energy production is being tracked correctly.
- This new rule would not apply to any projects on Indian lands. Those projects would still have to follow all current federal laws and protections to ensure tribal resources are respected.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 531.
The bill is now on the schedule for the full chamber to consider. It's in line for debate and a vote.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-613.
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 15.
The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
HEATS Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(2)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.