[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3290-S3292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6080. Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Curtis, and Mr.
Coons) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the
bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle F--Pacific Promotion of Workable Energy Resources Act
SEC. 1281. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Pacific Promotion of
Workable Energy Resources Act'' or the ``Pacific POWER Act''.
SEC. 1282. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources, and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives.
(2) Direct use.--The term ``direct use'' has the meaning
given the term in section 616A of the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17195a(b)).
(3) Geothermal partners.--The term ``geothermal partners''
means the United States allies and partners selected pursuant
to section 1285.
(4) Next-generation geothermal.--The term ``next-generation
geothermal'' means a geothermal power production technology
that has the potential to greatly expand the scale and
geographical range of geothermal power production,
including--
(A) enhanced geothermal systems, as defined in section 612
of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17191);
(B) closed-loop geothermal systems, meaning systems that
use one or more wells drilled into hot rock with fluid
circulating through a closed-loop system to bring heat to the
surface;
(C) geothermal systems which harness heat from
supercritical temperatures, meaning at or above 375 degrees;
and
(D) other innovative geothermal power technologies.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of State.
SEC. 1283. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Indo-Pacific is critical to United States national
security and economic interests, particularly given the rise
of the People's Republic of China as a competitor, and has
some of the world's highest geothermal potential;
(2) achieving United States foreign and national security
policy objectives, including deterring conflict and reducing
vulnerability to coercion, requires further strengthening
relationships with key regional allies and partners;
(3) the United States should expand its engagement with key
allies and partners on geothermal, including through
commercial partnerships and technical assistance to support
the development of their geothermal capabilities to reduce
reliance on the energy exports of adversaries and to develop
markets for United States companies; and
(4) the United States should promote the pursuit of
bilateral memoranda of understanding or other appropriate
agreements on
[[Page S3291]]
geothermal energy with key allies and partners, where doing
so furthers United States foreign policy and national
security interests.
SEC. 1284. GEOTHERMAL DIPLOMACY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Energy, shall work both bilaterally and
multilaterally to advance geothermal energy in support of
United States interests, including to develop--
(1) goals to increase geothermal deployment, including for
electricity and direct use applications;
(2) forums for collective learning and research;
(3) risk-sharing and financial tools for geothermal
exploration and development;
(4) potential regulatory and power market reforms that
support geothermal power production, direct use applications,
and grid interconnection;
(5) technical, environmental, safety, and community
engagement standards and best practices, including--
(A) early and consistent community engagement, including
the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples
and other communities;
(B) revenue sharing to create local economic benefits;
(C) reservoir management;
(D) mitigation of seismic risk through real-time
monitoring, operational guardrails, and engagement with
impacted communities;
(E) mitigation of impacts to water resources; and
(F) standardized, transparent, and secure mechanisms for
sharing geological and project-related data.
(b) Indo-Pacific Engagement.--The Secretary shall
prioritize engaging with allies and partners in the Indo-
Pacific on opportunities to collaborate on geothermal energy
and as potential geothermal partners to be selected pursuant
to section 1285, including--
(1) Taiwan;
(2) the Philippines;
(3) Japan;
(4) Australia;
(5) Indonesia;
(6) India;
(7) New Zealand;
(8) Papua New Guinea; and
(9) Thailand.
(c) Multilateral Mechanisms.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall use existing
multilateral mechanisms to advance cooperation on geothermal
energy, including--
(1) the Quadrilateral Dialogue, or ``Quad,'' comprising the
United States, Australia, India, and Japan;
(2) the United States-Japan-Philippines trilateral
dialogue;
(3) the United States-Japan-Republic of Korea trilateral
dialogue;
(4) United States-Association of Southeast Asian Nations
dialogues and energy engagements;
(5) the Pacific Community, the principal scientific and
technical organization in the Pacific region;
(6) the International Energy Agency; and
(7) the Group of Seven, comprising the United States,
France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, and
Canada.
SEC. 1285. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL GEOTHERMAL PROGRAM
AND COUNTRY SELECTION.
(a) Assessment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination
with the Secretary of Energy, shall develop and submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report that--
(1) assesses global geothermal resources, including mapping
the areas of highest potential for geothermal development
based on factors, such as--
(A) existing geothermal generation;
(B) subsurface data;
(C) proximity of geothermal resources to existing or
potential energy infrastructure;
(D) regulatory and economic conditions, including financial
incentives for geothermal;
(E) current and projected energy mix and demand;
(F) workforce;
(G) supply chains, including the distribution of assets
relative to projected demand; and
(H) energy reliability conditions;
(2) assesses countries, regions, and other locations in
which geothermal development or expansion is most beneficial
to United States national security and economic interests,
including in support of United States Indo-Pacific strategy;
(3) explains the strategy for addressing the challenges to
geothermal energy development or expansion in the countries,
regions, and other locations most beneficial to United States
national security and economic interests; and
(4) assesses the extent to which foreign countries of
concern, as defined in section 4872(d) of title 10, United
States Code, are involved in, or may seek to influence or
control, the geothermal energy sectors, supply chains,
infrastructure, financing, or related critical minerals of
countries, regions, and other locations identified under
paragraphs (1) through (3).
(b) Consultation.--In preparing the report required in
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
(1) agencies with relevant expertise;
(2) Department of Energy National Laboratories (as defined
in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15801));
(3) institutions of higher education (as defined in section
101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (2 U.S.C.
1001(a));
(4) nonpartisan and nonprofit organizations;
(5) the International Energy Agency;
(6) the advisory group established pursuant to subsection
(g); and
(7) the appropriate committees of Congress.
(c) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination
with the Secretary of Energy, shall establish the
International Geothermal Program (the ``Program'') for
international collaboration on geothermal exploration and
development to carry out section 1284 and to pursue bilateral
and multilateral partnerships as described in subsection (d)
to further United States foreign policy and national security
interests.
(d) Program.--The Program established pursuant to
subsection (c) shall include public-private partnerships for
the exploration and development of geothermal resources and
next-generation geothermal systems, including--
(1) to support large-scale geothermal deployment, including
for next-generation geothermal technologies and direct use
applications;
(2) to conduct research of next-generation geothermal
technologies, including through coordination with existing
international research initiatives;
(3) to conduct geothermal resource exploration and
characterization;
(4) to support the integration of geothermal energy into
energy system planning and regulations;
(5) to identify opportunity zones where geothermal could
meet industrial, heating and cooling, agricultural, and
electricity needs;
(6) to support the workforce and supply chains necessary
for geothermal deployment;
(7) to support community engagement and education;
(8) to assist in the development and implementation of
risk-sharing mechanisms and other financial tools for the
cost of geothermal exploration and development;
(9) to assist in the development of predictable siting and
permitting processes for partners selected pursuant to
subsection (e);
(10) to create financial incentives for investment in
geothermal energy; and
(11) to identify investment and export opportunities for
United States companies
(e) Selection of Geothermal Partners.--Concurrent with the
establishment of the Program pursuant to subsection (c), the
Secretary, in consultation with the appropriate congressional
committees, shall select at least five geothermal partners
that--
(1) include--
(A) not fewer than three countries in the Indo-Pacific;
(B) not fewer than one country that currently does not
produce or consume geothermal energy at commercial scale; and
(C) not fewer than one country that demonstrates
significant potential to expand existing capacity for
geothermal energy generation, such as through recent success
in adding more geothermal energy to its grid and through the
inclusion of geothermal in utility resource plans; and
(2) are informed by the report required under subsection
(a).
(f) Agreements.--The Secretary shall pursue memoranda of
understanding or other appropriate agreements with countries
selected pursuant to subsection (e) and that are willing to
work with the United States to implement the Program.
(g) Engagement With the Private Sector and Nonprofits.--The
Secretary shall establish an advisory mechanism to engage
United States geothermal developers, equipment manufacturers,
financial institutions, industry associations, and nonprofit
organizations with geothermal expertise in the implementation
of the Program, including to--
(1) identify export opportunities for United States
geothermal technology and services in geothermal partner
countries;
(2) advise on technical standards, data use and
protections, policy, supply chain development, and workforce
needs; and
(3) facilitate connections between United States companies
and organizations and geothermal investment opportunities.
SEC. 1286. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL GEOTHERMAL
PROGRAM.
(a) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the
establishment of the Program and selection of geothermal
partners pursuant to section 1285, the Secretary shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
describes the United States strategy for advancing geothermal
energy with each of the geothermal partners.
(b) Elements.--The strategy submitted pursuant to
subsection (a) shall include the estimated personnel and
assistance resources required on an annual basis for
successful implementation of such strategy, and the
identification of opportunities for--
(1) supporting regional partnerships on geothermal energy;
(2) strengthening the resilience of geothermal supply
chains, including--
(A) equipment and services related to geothermal resource
exploration, characterization, and production; and
(B) through partnerships with domestic and allied
manufacturers;
[[Page S3292]]
(3) leveraging existing and developing new multilateral
financing tools to support geothermal energy;
(4) conducting geothermal-specific feasibility studies and
other support by the United States Trade and Development
Agency; and
(5) the United States Export-Import Bank, the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, and the United States International
Development Finance Corporation to provide financial support
to geothermal partners that meet the eligibility requirements
of the agencies.
(c) Implementation.--The implementation of the Program
established in section 1285 shall be led by the Under
Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the
Environment and coordinated with the leadership of the Office
of International Affairs and the Geothermal Technologies
Office.
(d) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit a report to
the appropriate congressional committees that includes--
(1) a summary of United States activities and engagement
with each geothermal partner, including the status of
negotiations to establish memoranda of understanding or other
agreements pursuant to section 1285(f);
(2) any changes to the strategy required by subsection (a)
for each geothermal partner;
(3) the number of personnel assigned to implementation of
the Program, by operating unit; and
(4) assistance provided to implement the Program to date by
operating unit, amount, account, and purpose.
(e) Technical and Financial Assistance.--The Secretary is
authorized to work with relevant United States agencies to
promote and coordinate the development and underwriting of
grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other technical and
financial assistance to geothermal partners and United States
companies that work with geothermal partners through the
Program established in section 1285.
(f) Coordination.--In preparing the strategy required under
subsection (a) and the annual report required under
subsection (d), and implementing the Program established in
section 1285, the Under Secretary of State for Economic
Growth, Energy, and the Environment shall convene agencies
with relevant expertise and the advisory group established in
section 1285(g) and brief the appropriate committees of
Congress not less than twice per year.
______