H.R. 1687
CLEAN Act
Sponsor: Russ Fulcher · 4 cosponsors
Follow this bill
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act or the CLEAN Act
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to increase the frequency of lease sales for developing and utilizing geothermal energy on federal land.
Specifically, Interior must hold lease sales at least once a year (rather than two years) in states with pending nominations of federal land to be leased for geothermal energy development.
In conducting such lease sales, Interior must offer all of the pending nominated parcels eligible for geothermal development and utilization under the resource management plan in effect for the state.
If a lease sale is canceled or delayed, Interior must conduct a replacement sale during the same year.
Finally, the bill establishes deadlines for Interior to respond to applications for geothermal drilling permits.
Text of the bill
Where this section came from
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Feb 27, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources, Feb 27
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May 20, 2026 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Natural Resources, Apr 21 Reported by House Committee on Natural Resources, May 20 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
… 6 unchanged passages …
(4) Requirement.
In
Of the nominated parcels eligible for geothermal development and utilization under the resource management plan in effect for the State, the Secretary shall, in
conducting a lease sale under paragraph (2
), offer for lease— (A
)
in
75
a
percent
State
of
described
such
in
nominated
that
parcels;
paragraph,
and (B)
the
Secretary
remaining 25 percent
of
such nominated parcels, unless
the
Interior
Secretary
shall
provides
offer
a
all
written
nominated
justification
parcels
that
eligible
identifies
for
a
geothermal
statutory,
development
environmental,
and
or
utilization
administrative
under
basis that prevents
the
resource
Secretary
management
from
plan
offering
in
such
effect
nominated parcels
for
the State
lease
.
… 7 unchanged passages …
(2) Issuance
of
or
decision
deferral
.
If
(A) In general. Not later than 30 days after
the Secretary
determines
has
that
provided written notice to
an
application
applicant
for a geothermal drilling permit
that the application for such permit
is complete
under
pursuant to
paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall
— (i)
issue
the permit, if the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable law have been completed within such timeframe; or (ii) defer the decision on the permit and provide to the applicant
a
final
notice— (I) that specifies any steps that the applicant could take for the permit to be issued; and (II) that includes a list of actions that need to be taken by the agency to comply with applicable law, together with timelines and deadlines for taking such actions, which shall not exceed the deadlines specified in section 107(g) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4336a(g)). (B) Deadline for deferred decisions. If the Secretary defers a
decision on
a permit under subparagraph (A)(ii),
the
application
Secretary shall issue a decision on the permit
not later than
30
10
days after the
Secretary
applicant
notifies
takes any steps specified pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) and
the
applicant
agency
that
takes
the
application
actions
is
listed
complete
pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) in accordance with any applicable timelines and deadlines
.
]
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A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
(a) Annual leasing. Section 4(b) of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1003(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking 2 years and inserting year;
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and
(3) after paragraph (2), by inserting the following:
(3) Replacement Sales. If a lease sale under paragraph (1) for a year is canceled or delayed, the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a replacement sale during the same year.
(4) Requirement. Of the nominated parcels eligible for geothermal development and utilization under the resource management plan in effect for the State, the Secretary shall, in conducting a lease sale under paragraph (2), offer for lease—
(A) 75 percent of such nominated parcels; and
(B) the remaining 25 percent of such nominated parcels, unless the Secretary provides a written justification that identifies a statutory, environmental, or administrative basis that prevents the Secretary from offering such nominated parcels for lease.
(b) Deadlines for consideration of geothermal drilling permits. Section 4 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1003) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(h) Deadlines for consideration of geothermal drilling permits
(1) Notice. Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an application for any geothermal drilling permit, the Secretary shall—
(A) provide written notice to the applicant that the application is complete; or
(B) notify the applicant that information is missing and specify any information that is required to be submitted for the application to be complete.
(2) Issuance or deferral
(A) In general. Not later than 30 days after the Secretary has provided written notice to an applicant for a geothermal drilling permit that the application for such permit is complete pursuant to paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall—
(i) issue the permit, if the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable law have been completed within such timeframe; or
(ii) defer the decision on the permit and provide to the applicant a notice—
(I) that specifies any steps that the applicant could take for the permit to be issued; and
(II) that includes a list of actions that need to be taken by the agency to comply with applicable law, together with timelines and deadlines for taking such actions, which shall not exceed the deadlines specified in section 107(g) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4336a(g)).
(B) Deadline for deferred decisions. If the Secretary defers a decision on a permit under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall issue a decision on the permit not later than 10 days after the applicant takes any steps specified pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) and the agency takes the actions listed pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) in accordance with any applicable timelines and deadlines.