Geothermal Royalty Reform Act
Geothermal Energy: New Royalty Rules for Power Plants
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill updates the rules for how companies pay the federal government to use geothermal energy—heat from underground—on public lands. It changes the way 'royalties,' or usage fees, are calculated.
- Instead of looking at the total resources taken from a large area of land, the government would now charge fees based on the specific amount of electricity made by each individual power plant.
- This change aims to modernize a 1970 law. By focusing on the output of each facility, it creates a more precise way to track and bill for the energy being produced and sold to the public.
- The policy mainly affects energy companies that build geothermal plants on federal land. It ensures that the fees they pay accurately reflect the actual power they generate at each site.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 575.
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. 119-661.
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
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
Geothermal Royalty Reform Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.