The U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 14 approved a bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) that would streamline geothermal energy development and production. The measure now heads to the U.S. Senate for action.
The House voted 225-181 to approve the Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act, H.R. 7409, which Rep. Kim introduced Feb. 20 alongside cosponsors U.S. Reps. John Duarte (R-CA) and Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK).
“I thank my colleagues for supporting the bipartisan HEATS Act to support our economy, security, and environment,” Rep. Kim said.
If enacted, the bill would exempt certain geothermal activities on state and private lands (except Indian lands) from drilling permit requirements, as well as environmental and historic preservation review requirements, according to the congressional record bill summary.
“By expanding our energy supply with clean sources like geothermal energy, we not only promote American energy independence but also lower energy costs, protect our national security, and reduce emissions,” said Rep. Kim.
Additionally, H.R. 7409 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 percent federal. While operators would be exempt from federal permitting requirements, they would still be subject to state permitting regulations, according to the text of the bill.
“Valley families are paying too much for gas and groceries because of the anti-energy policies coming out of Washington and Sacramento,” said Rep. Duarte. “This common-sense bill promotes geothermal energy production to help deliver affordable energy to Valley families, create good-paying jobs, and produce more energy here in the United States.”
The Citizens’ Climate Lobby has endorsed the measure, saying its proposed clarification would mirror an exemption that currently exists for similar oil and gas projects.
“We are heartened that The HEATS Act would help to unlock the potential of geothermal energy as a reliable and growing source of domestic renewable energy production,” Dennis Arp, volunteer group leader with the lobby’s SoCal Tri-Counties Chapter, wrote in a Nov. 12 letter sent to Rep. Kim.
