Overview
- The House passed H.R. 5631, a package that bundles six bipartisan geothermal measures into a single bill to ease development on federal lands by voice vote.
- Key provisions require the Interior secretary to appoint a geothermal ombudsman and create a Geothermal Permitting Task Force, and they set a 60‑day goal for processing leasing and drilling applications.
- The package expands categorical NEPA exclusions for certain previously studied or developed sites and backs a separate measure to make geothermal lease sales at least annual instead of every two years.
- Supporters pitched geothermal as a low‑carbon, high‑capacity baseload option that can boost reliability and reduce costs, while critics warn fast reviews could prompt legal and environmental challenges and contend execution will hinge on Interior and BLM follow‑through.
- Geothermal today supplies a small share of U.S. power but the Energy Department estimates its capacity factor is about 65 percent, which supporters say could translate into steadier electricity supply and lower bills if the Senate acts and agencies implement the changes effectively.