Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill allows the Department of the Interior to charge companies for the work required to approve geothermal energy projects. Currently, the government often pays for the staff time and resources needed to review these applications and inspect the sites.
• Companies applying for or holding geothermal leases would pay back the government for processing permits, drilling approvals, and site monitoring. This includes checking that wells are safely plugged and that the land is restored after use.
• The goal is to provide the Department of the Interior with more money to speed up the permitting process. By collecting these fees, the agency can hire more staff or use more resources to handle the growing number of geothermal energy requests.
• The government can lower or waive these fees if they would cause a company too much financial trouble. They can also reduce the cost if it helps encourage more people to use geothermal energy, which is a clean power source from the earth's heat.
• This new fee system would last until September 2032. After five years, the Department of the Interior must report to Congress on how the program is working and if it should be continued.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.