[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6482 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6482

To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration 
    for geothermal resources under geothermal leases, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 28, 2023

 Mr. Fulcher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration 
    for geothermal resources under geothermal leases, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Geothermal Production on 
Federal Lands Act''.

SEC. 2. GEOTHERMAL PRODUCTION ON FEDERAL LANDS.

    The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 30. GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECTS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Geothermal exploration project.--The term `geothermal 
        exploration project' means the drilling of a temperature 
        gradient well, monitoring well, calibration well, or another 
        geothermal exploratory well, including construction or making 
        improvements for such activities, on lands for which the 
        Secretary has issued a geothermal lease--
                    ``(A) that is carried out by the holder of the 
                lease;
                    ``(B) for which--
                            ``(i) the last cemented casing string has 
                        an outer diameter of less than 13 inches; and
                            ``(ii) the total unreclaimed surface 
                        disturbance at any one time within the project 
                        area is less than 5 acres, not including the 
                        area of a permanent or temporary access road;
                    ``(C) that is completed in less than 120 days, 
                including the removal of any surface infrastructure 
                from the project area; and
                    ``(D) that requires the restoration of the project 
                area within 3 years of the date of first exploration 
                drilling to approximately the condition that existed at 
                the time the project began, unless the project area is 
                subsequently used as part of energy development under 
                the lease.
            ``(2) Covered activity.--The term `covered activity' 
        includes, with respect to exploration, development, or 
        production (including direct use) of geothermal resources--
                    ``(A) a geotechnical investigation;
                    ``(B) off-road travel in a right-of-way established 
                by Congress, granted by a Federal agency, or included 
                in a land use plan; and
                    ``(C) construction, maintenance, realignment, and 
                repair of an existing permanent or temporary access 
                road within a right-of-way established by Congress, 
                granted by a Federal agency, or included in a land use 
                plan.
    ``(b) Non-Major Federal Action.--Geothermal exploration projects 
and covered activities shall not be considered major Federal actions 
under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
    ``(c) Requirement To Provide Notice.--The holder of a geothermal 
lease shall provide to the Secretary notice of their intent to carry 
out a geothermal exploration project at least 30 days before the start 
of drilling under the project.''.

SEC. 3. GEOTHERMAL LEASING PRIORITY AREAS.

    The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) is 
further amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 31. GEOTHERMAL LEASING PRIORITY AREAS.

    ``(a) Definition of Covered Land.--In this section, the term 
`covered land' means land that is--
            ``(1) Federal land; and
            ``(2) not excluded from the development of geothermal 
        energy under--
                    ``(A) a land use plan established under the Federal 
                Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 
                et seq.); or
                    ``(B) any other Federal law.
    ``(b) Designation of Geothermal Leasing Priority Areas.--The 
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall 
designate portions of covered land as geothermal leasing priority areas 
as soon as practicable, but not later than 5 years, after the date of 
enactment of this section.
    ``(c) Criteria for Selection.--In determining which covered lands 
to designate as geothermal leasing priority areas under subsection (b), 
the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall 
consider if--
            ``(1) the covered land is preferable for geothermal 
        leasing;
            ``(2) production of geothermal energy on such land is 
        economically viable, including if such land has access to 
        methods of energy transmission; and
            ``(3) the designation would be in compliance with section 
        202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
        U.S.C. 1712), including subsection (c)(9) of such section.
    ``(d) Review and Modification.--Not less frequently than once every 
5 years, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) review covered land and, if appropriate, make 
        additional designations of geothermal leasing priority areas; 
        and
            ``(2) review each area designated as a geothermal leasing 
        priority area under this section, and, if appropriate, remove 
        such designation.
    ``(e) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.--
            ``(1) Initial designations.--Not later than one year after 
        the initial designation of a geothermal leasing priority area, 
        the Secretary shall prepare a supplement to any final 
        programmatic environmental impact statement for geothermal 
        leasing that is the most recently finalized such statement with 
        respect to covered land designated as a geothermal leasing 
        priority area under subsection (b).
            ``(2) Subsequent designations.--Each designation of a 
        geothermal leasing priority area under subsection (b) shall be 
        included in a programmatic environmental impact statement for 
        geothermal leasing or in a supplement to such a statement.
            ``(3) Consultations.--In developing any programmatic 
        environmental impact statement for geothermal leasing or 
        supplement to such a statement under this section, the 
        Secretary shall consult, on an ongoing basis, with appropriate 
        State, Tribal, and local governments, transmission 
        infrastructure owners and operators, developers, and other 
        appropriate entities.
            ``(4) Procedure.--The Secretary may not delay issuing a 
        permit or holding a lease sale under this Act because the 
        supplement required under paragraph (1) has not been finalized 
        by the Secretary.
    ``(f) Compliance With NEPA.--If the Secretary determines that the 
designation of a geothermal leasing priority area has been sufficiently 
analyzed by a programmatic environmental impact statement, the 
Secretary shall not prepare any additional analysis under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect 
to geothermal lease sales for such geothermal leasing priority area.''.
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