CLEAN Act
Sponsored By: Senator Risch, James E. [R-ID]
In Committee
Summary
Speeds geothermal leasing and drilling permits to move more public land toward geothermal development. This bill shifts leasing and permit steps into fixed, faster timelines and creates rules to ensure nominated parcels are actually offered for lease.
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- Geothermal developers: Lease sales move to a yearly schedule rather than every two years and the agency must run a replacement sale in the same year if a sale is canceled or delayed. The agency must offer 75% of nominated parcels and may withhold the rest only with a written statutory, environmental, or administrative justification.
- Drilling permit applicants: The agency must tell applicants within 30 days if an application is complete or what information is missing. After completeness the agency has 30 days to issue a permit if environmental reviews are satisfied or must defer with clear steps, then decide within 10 days after the applicant and agency finish those steps.
- Interior and State planning: Lease offers are tied to the State resource management plan in effect for the State and the Secretary must document reasons for not offering nominated parcels.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Faster geothermal drilling permit timelines
If enacted, the bill would require the Interior Department to notify applicants within 30 days whether a geothermal drilling permit application is complete or what information is missing. Within 30 days after a completeness notice, the Secretary would either issue the permit if National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other laws are satisfied or defer and give a written list of steps and agency actions with timelines. If deferred, the Secretary would decide no later than 10 days after the applicant completes required steps and the agency finishes its listed actions.
New geothermal lease rules for developers
If enacted, the bill would require federal geothermal lease sales every year instead of every two years. For each sale, the Secretary would have to offer 75 percent of nominated parcels that are eligible under the State resource management plan. The remaining 25 percent would also have to be offered unless the Secretary gives a written statutory, environmental, or administrative justification for not offering them. If a sale is canceled or delayed, the Secretary would hold a replacement sale during the same year.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Risch, James E. [R-ID]
ID • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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