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119-hr-8437119th CongressWALLET

Geo POWER Act

Sponsored By: Representative Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]

In Committee

Summary

Milestone-based geothermal financing creates a new federal program to speed commercial geothermal electricity in regions with little or no existing geothermal power. It targets the high upfront risks of exploration and drilling to help projects reach commercial scale faster.

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  • Developers and project sponsors gain milestone-driven financing that offsets early exploration and drilling costs and supports demonstration work that could enable at least 30 megawatts (MW) of generation.
  • Communities and underserved geologies get priority, including projects on or near Indian land as defined in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, to expand geothermal beyond traditional regions.
  • The Department of Energy must solicit proposals, fund at least three different awards across at least three States and sponsors, collect and publish resource data to de-risk future projects, and maintain staffing to run the program. The program is carried out as a milestone-based demonstration under existing Energy Act authorities and authorizes appropriations as necessary to implement it.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Milestone geothermal funding for developers

If enacted, the bill would require the Department of Energy to create a Milestone-Based Geothermal Demonstration Program within 180 days. The program would give milestone-based financing to projects in low-permeability or impermeable reservoirs. It would prioritize projects in regions with little or no geothermal power, including projects on or near Indian land, projects that collect and share resource and technology data, and projects that can reach or enable at least 30 megawatts of generation. The Secretary would have to award financing to at least three different proposals in at least three States and to at least three different project sponsors, and keep enough staff to run the program. The bill would also authorize appropriations of such sums as are necessary to carry out the program, but it would not itself provide the money.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

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

AK • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 4/30/2026

  • Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 5/13/2026

  • Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large]

    PR • D

    Sponsored 5/21/2026

  • Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 6/8/2026

  • Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 7/13/2026

  • Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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