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119-hr-5576119th CongressWALLET

Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act

Sponsored By: Representative Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1]

In Committee

Summary

Streamline geothermal exploration on federal lands. This bill would define small geothermal exploration projects and related activities and treat them as non-major Federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act to speed up reviews and make approvals more predictable.

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  • Developers and leaseholders would face faster, more predictable early drilling. Projects that meet the bill's technical limits could avoid major NEPA reviews, and leaseholders must give the Secretary at least 30 days' notice before drilling.
  • Federal land managers would get clear thresholds for what counts as a small exploration project, including limits on surface disturbance and project duration, which would simplify NEPA applicability decisions. The bill sets a maximum of 8 acres of unreclaimed disturbance and a 180-day completion window.
  • Public lands and nearby communities would benefit from required site restoration and limits on long-term disturbance. The bill requires restoration to approximately pre-project condition within 3 years unless the site moves into full development.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Faster geothermal exploration on federal lands

If enacted, the bill would treat certain geothermal exploration projects on federal leases as not 'major Federal actions' under NEPA. To qualify, the last cemented casing must be under 13 3/8 inches and unreclaimed disturbance must stay under 8 acres. The project must finish in under 180 days and the area must be restored within 3 years of first drilling unless later used for energy development. Covered activities include geotechnical tests, some off‑road travel in approved rights‑of‑way, and work on existing access roads. Leaseholders would have to give the Secretary at least 30 days' notice before drilling. These changes would likely speed approvals for developers but reduce some public environmental review.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1]

ID • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 10/28/2025

  • Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 11/21/2025

  • Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]

    AK • R

    Sponsored 12/15/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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