Washington, DC – Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed out of markup H.R. 7409, the Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act, led by U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40).
The HEATS Act would boost U.S. energy production by streamlining geothermal energy infrastructure development and production. Geothermal energy is a clean energy source that can be used to generate electricity, heat homes, and power industrial processes
“Unleashing American energy independence requires diversifying our energy supply and promoting U.S. innovation, and geothermal energy is an important, renewable energy source that helps us accomplish these goals,” said Rep. Young Kim. “The HEATS Act will lower costs for Americans, reduce emissions, secure supply chains, and promote U.S. energy independence. I thank the Natural Resources Committee for supporting this bill, which benefits our national security, economy, and environment.”
“H.R. 7409 is a commonsense, scientific bill that will advance House Republicans’ goal of achieving lower energy costs for all and making America energy independent. This bill would help expedite geothermal energy production on federal lands while reducing administrative burdens on federal agencies. Representative Kim has been a leader on energy issues in Congress and has advanced innovative solutions to ease the burdens of energy inflation under the Biden administration. I look forward to working with her to get this bill across the finish line and passed into law,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).
The HEATS Act would expedite geothermal energy production by clarifying that geothermal operators do not need a federal drilling permit for wells that are on state and private lands where the subsurface geothermal estate is less than 50% federal. While operators would be exempt from federal permitting requirements, they would still be subject to state permitting regulations.
Read the bill HERE.
