HEATS Act
Geothermal Energy: Faster Drilling Permits on Private Land
Legislative Progress
231–186
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
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Milestones
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 231 - 186 (Roll no. 137).
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 231 - 186 (Roll no. 137).
The House of Representatives voted to approve this bill. It now goes to the Senate.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
Vote Results
1 voteOn Passage
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.