H.R. 5631

Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

Sponsor: Jeff Hurd · 5 cosponsors

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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act

This bill establishes a geothermal ombudsman and task force to oversee geothermal project permitting and authorizations on federal land.

The Department of the Interior must appoint a geothermal ombudsman from within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The ombudsman must act as a liaison among different parts of BLM, provide dispute resolution services between BLM and geothermal project applicants, and facilitate permit processing in different BLM field offices regarding geothermal projects on federal land.

The ombudsman must also lead the Geothermal Permitting Task Force established by this bill. The task force must support the ombudsman’s duties. Through the task force, the ombudsman may reassign employees from other Interior bureaus or offices to assist in the completion of geothermal authorizations. The ombudsman may pay a retention allowance to reassigned employees. 

Text of the bill

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Sec. 7. Geothermal royalties Added Jun 2

Where this section came from

Not in the first version (Introduced in House, Sep 30).

  1. Jun 2, 2026 · Engrossed in House

(a) Definitions. Section 2 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(h) Geothermal electric generating facility means a facility, including all necessary equipment or structures (including turbines and cooling equipment), that produces electricity using geothermal resources. For purposes of section 5(a)(1), a facility described in the preceding sentence shall be considered a separate facility from any other such facility unless the facility shares a turbine with any other such facility.

(i) In-service date means, with respect to a geothermal electric generating facility, the date on which the geothermal electric generating facility begins operating.

(b) Geothermal royalties. Section 5(a)(1) of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1004(a)(1)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)—

(A) by inserting with respect to a geothermal electric generating facility producing electricity from such resources, before not less than;

(B) by inserting by the geothermal electric generating facility after produced; and

(C) by striking the first 10 years of production under the lease and inserting each year of the 10-year period following the in-service date of the geothermal electric generating facility; and

(2) in subparagraph (B)—

(A) by inserting with respect to a geothermal electric generating facility producing electricity from such resources, before not less than;

(B) by inserting by the geothermal electric generating facility after produced; and

(C) by striking such 10-year period and inserting the period of 10 years described in subparagraph (A).