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119-hr-398119th CongressWALLET

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]

In Committee

Summary

This bill would create a temporary cost-recovery authority for geothermal leases. It would let the Secretary of the Interior require applicants and lease holders to reimburse reasonable administrative and oversight costs tied to processing leases and monitoring development through September 30, 2032.

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  • Geothermal developers and applicants: Could be charged for processing applications and related approvals and for inspections, drilling oversight, plugging and reclamation. The Secretary may reduce charges for economic hardship or to promote greater use of geothermal resources.
  • Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Reimbursements would be credited as discretionary offsetting collections to the applicable DOI accounts. Those collections would be available only for processing and inspecting geothermal leases as Congress provides in appropriations acts.
  • Congress and industry stakeholders: The Secretary must submit a report no later than five years after enactment assessing how the change affected the BLM geothermal program and offering reauthorization recommendations after consulting industry and others.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New fees for geothermal lease applicants

This bill would let the Interior Secretary require applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases to reimburse the U.S. for reasonable costs to process lease applications and related permits. It would also let the Secretary require reimbursement for inspections and monitoring, including exploration, drilling, well plugging, and site reclamation. The authority would begin on enactment and end September 30, 2032. The Secretary could reduce required payments for economic hardship or to promote use, and would consider cooperative cost-share agreements. Reimbursements would be credited to Interior accounts as discretionary offsetting collections and could only be spent if Congress approves them in future appropriations laws.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]

NY • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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