Senators Propose Legislation to Promote Geothermal Energy

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee have introduced the bipartisan Geothermal Energy Optimization Act designed to accelerate the adoption of geothermal energy nationwide.

Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. and Mike Lee, R-Utah, proposed the bill, stated in a press release, “Next-generation geothermal technologies offer several unique advantages that distinguish it from other forms of clean energy — including its ability to be deployed beyond hot and temperate regions, its versatility to match local demand, and capacity to create new pathways to high-paying quality jobs.

“Idaho has long utilized the abundant natural geothermal resources just below its surface. With breakthrough technologies underway, there is great potential to scale up production of this clean, reliable energy. The GEO Act will streamline leasing and permitting processes, allowing the responsible and efficient development of traditional and enhanced geothermal resources on our public lands,” Risch said in the release. 

The GEO Act would:

• Put geothermal projects on an equal footing with oil and gas projects on public land.
• Direct the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service to develop a streamlined process for geothermal observation well permits on public land.
• Create a Geothermal Ombudsman and Strike Team to provide additional resources for field offices.
• Set new geothermal lease targets on federal lands and require the BLM and the Forest Service to hold auctions more frequently than every two years. 

“With a highly skilled workforce already trained in the technologies of this emerging industry, New Mexico is ready to lead the nation in the deployment of geothermal energy,” said Heinrich.

“We are grateful for the leadership of Sens. Heinrich, Risch, Lee and Cortez Masto in introducing this critical legislation,” said Jeanine Vany, Eavor co-founder and executive vice president of Corporate Affairs. “The Geothermal Energy Optimization Act of 2024 streamlines the permitting process and will advance geothermal energy development on federal lands. This legislation will help advance geothermal projects like Eavor’s to become a reality more quickly across the United States.”

Eavor is a geothermal technology-based energy company. The company’s Eavor-Loop™ system extracts heat from hot rock via conduction. “Hot rock is almost everywhere beneath our feet, which means that Eavor can mine its energy from virtually anywhere across the planet,” the company states on its website.

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