[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5733-H5734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMENDING THE ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 TO EXPEDITE GEOTHERMAL
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN PREVIOUSLY STUDIED OR DEVELOPED AREAS
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6474) to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite
geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or
developed areas.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6474
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NEPA REVIEW.
Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15942) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, or the Geothermal
Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) for the purpose of
exploration or development of geothermal resources'' after
``or gas''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or gas'' and inserting
``, gas, or geothermal''; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or gas'' and inserting
``, gas, or geothermal''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Ocasio-
Cortez) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 6474, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 6474, which will amend the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development
in previously studied or developed areas.
First, I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Steel, for
all the good work she has done on this issue.
Duplicative leasing and the permitting process for geothermal
development result in timelines longer than those of many other energy
projects. With such a high potential for geothermal access across the
country, it is imperative we enact pragmatic reform to give all energy
industries the same opportunity.
Categorical exclusions, or CEs, expedite the NEPA process for energy
projects when the area being disturbed has already undergone
environmental review.
Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 granted five different
CEs to expedite the development of oil and gas projects.
It is necessary that these fees also apply to geothermal exploration
and development because the processes utilized by these two industries
are very similar, as is the technology and equipment used to drill.
Establishing categorical exclusions for geothermal energy in areas
with existing production or areas that have been recently studied is a
responsible way to increase the utilization of geothermal energy,
expediting the permitting process without reducing environmental
standards.
This bill would expedite the approval process for certain geothermal
projects by adding geothermal energy development to section 390.
Again, I applaud my colleague, Mrs. Steel, for this commonsense and
bipartisan bill.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise to comment on H.R. 6474, Representative Steel's bill, which
aims to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously
studied or developed areas. I thank my colleague for her attention to
this important issue.
I strongly support deploying geothermal energy on Federal lands. We
have heard from geothermal developers that there can be challenges when
it comes to permitting new geothermal plants. That is exactly why
several of the bills we are discussing here today are designed to
address those very challenges.
Now, what H.R. 6474 would do is legislate the creation of a new
categorical exclusion for certain geothermal-related activities.
Categorical exclusions are used when there is a class of actions that
Federal agencies have determined do not individually or cumulatively
have a significant impact on the human environment, and therefore, do
not require either an environmental assessment or an environmental
impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.
Currently, the oil and gas industries have a relatively narrow
categorical exclusion for minor disturbances in already developed oil
fields; that is, oil fields that have recently been analyzed under
NEPA.
This bill attempts to put geothermal on a level playing field by
taking that existing categorical exclusion and applying it basically as
is to geothermal.
At the legislative hearing on this bill, the Bureau of Land
Management testified that it is skeptical that this policy will provide
significant benefits for geothermal because the existing categorical
exclusion was designed for oil and gas, and there are considerable
differences between those types of energy and geothermal.
Fortunately, the Bureau of Land Management already has the authority
to establish new categorical exclusions administratively without the
need for legislation.
Using that authority, the Bureau has recently finalized new
categorical exclusions for geothermal energy that were adopted from
other agencies and are better tailored to this unique type of energy.
The Bureau is currently working on establishing more categorical
exclusions to ensure that geothermal can be deployed responsibly and
efficiently on Federal land.
While I have some concerns about the expansion of existing
categorical exclusions for oil and gas, I strongly support the Bureau
of Land Management's work on geothermal, and again, I am grateful for
my colleague's attention to this important issue.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Steel), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mrs. STEEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge passage of H.R. 6474, my
legislation to expedite geothermal energy growth and development.
[[Page H5734]]
Embracing geothermal energy will propel more sustainable, clean, and
reliable energy in California and the entire country.
With a sizeable geothermal reservoir, more growth opportunities will
allow California to take full advantage of our natural resources.
My bill will also support local economies as production grows. More
geothermal power will create and maintain sustainable local jobs.
Geothermal can be an important tool to make America more energy
independent and less dependent on our enemies. My legislation will
allow my home State of California to seize the reins as the leading
national energy provider.
This bill is simple and straightforward. It is just the type of
commonsense solution my constituents sent me to Congress to find.
My legislation amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow for a
new categorical exclusion for geothermal under the National
Environmental Policy Act.
Specifically, it would create an exemption for geothermal drilling in
situations where drilling has occurred within the last 5 years.
{time} 2015
This bill will create an expedited approval process for geothermal
projects and a more promising energy future for the United States.
I thank my legislative partners, Susie Lee, for working with me in a
bipartisan manner to support geothermal energy. I also thank Chairman
Westerman and House leadership for working with us to advance this
legislation. America needs an all-of-the-above energy approach that
includes geothermal.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am
prepared to close, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my colleague from
California (Mrs. Steel) for working across the aisle in this
bipartisan, all-of-the-above energy bill. I urge my colleagues to
support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Crane). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6474.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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