The House on Tuesday passed legislation mandating the Department of the Interior to increase the frequency of geothermal lease sales and accelerate the permitting process in order to meet energy demands.
In a 244 to 171 vote, the House passed Rep. Russ Fulcher’s (R-ID) Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act, also known as the CLEAN Act.
The bill would require the DOI to increase the number of geothermal lease sales from every two years to every year. It would also require the department to hold replacement sales if one is canceled or missed. The department will also create deadlines to inform permit applicants of the decision on their application.
“Idaho is home to the largest functioning geothermal system. This energy source has the potential to be a key contributor in meeting the U.S.’s growing energy demand,” said Fulcher. “I am proud to have introduced both the CLEAN Act and the Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act to bolster exploration and development of this energy source.”
Geothermal energy has gained support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as a clean energy. The bill’s passage is just one of several actions the government has taken to facilitate geothermal drilling.
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Last week, the House passed Rep. Young Kim’s (R-CA) Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act, which would expedite the permitting process for geothermal energy by waiving the requirement for operators to obtain a federal drilling permit for wells on state and private lands.
The DOI and Bureau of Land Management last month proposed that operations confirming geothermal resources be excluded from having to perform an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. The administration has approved 42 renewable energy projects on public lands, 14 of which are geothermal developments.