Geothermal Energy Advancement Act | ChamberLight

PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS

House BillHR 5631Licensing and registrationsGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

INTRO SEP 30· LAST ACTION JUL 29

READING

12MIN

COSPONSORS

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READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Reported, not passed

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it aims to accelerate the development of geothermal energy, a form of clean, renewable power. If this bill becomes law, it could lead to more geothermal power plants being built more quickly, which would contribute to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and help meet climate goals. This means a more diverse energy supply and potentially more jobs in the renewable energy sector.

Without this bill, the permitting process for geothermal projects on public lands might continue to be slow and complex, potentially hindering the growth of this clean energy source. Delays in approvals can increase costs for developers and discourage investment, slowing the transition to a cleaner energy grid. This bill tries to remove those bureaucratic roadblocks to bring more clean energy online faster.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

The Secretary of the Interior must appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman from within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within 60 days of the bill becoming law.

This creates a central point of contact and an advocate to help streamline the geothermal permitting process within the BLM.

PROVISION 02

The Geothermal Ombudsman will act as a liaison, provide dispute resolution, monitor permit processing, and develop best practices for geothermal permitting and leasing.

These duties are designed to directly address and resolve inefficiencies and conflicts that often slow down geothermal project development.

PROVISION 03

The Secretary must establish a Geothermal Permitting Task Force within the BLM, headed by the Geothermal Ombudsman, also within 60 days of enactment.

This establishes a dedicated team to support the ombudsman's efforts and provide additional resources to improve permitting efficiency.

PROVISION 04

The Task Force can temporarily assign personnel with relevant expertise from any Department of the Interior office to help other BLM offices complete geothermal authorizations.

This allows for flexible deployment of specialized staff to address backlogs or complex projects, preventing delays due to a lack of local resources.

PROVISION 05

The Geothermal Ombudsman may pay retention allowances (bonuses) of up to 25% of basic pay to employees assigned to assist with geothermal authorizations, subject to available funds.

This incentivizes specialized employees to remain in critical roles, ensuring the continued availability of essential expertise for geothermal permitting.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 5

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 80%

DEM 3 REP 2 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

37 EVENTS

JUL 29

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

COMMITTEE

JUL 15

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.

COMMITTEE

JUN 3

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

SENATE · INTROREFERRAL

JUN 3

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

SENATE · INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeHouse Bill

NumberHR 5631

Congress119th

StatusPassed House

IntroducedSep 30, 2025

Last actionJul 29, 2026

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PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS · NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED SEP 30, 2025

House BillHR 5631Licensing and registrationsGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

INTRODUCED SEP 30, 2025· LAST ACTION JUL 29, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

12 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

The Secretary of the Interior must appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman from within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within 60 days of the bill becoming law.

This creates a central point of contact and an advocate to help streamline the geothermal permitting process within the BLM.

high

The Geothermal Ombudsman will act as a liaison, provide dispute resolution, monitor permit processing, and develop best practices for geothermal permitting and leasing.

These duties are designed to directly address and resolve inefficiencies and conflicts that often slow down geothermal project development.

med

The Secretary must establish a Geothermal Permitting Task Force within the BLM, headed by the Geothermal Ombudsman, also within 60 days of enactment.

This establishes a dedicated team to support the ombudsman's efforts and provide additional resources to improve permitting efficiency.

high

The Task Force can temporarily assign personnel with relevant expertise from any Department of the Interior office to help other BLM offices complete geothermal authorizations.

This allows for flexible deployment of specialized staff to address backlogs or complex projects, preventing delays due to a lack of local resources.

med

The Geothermal Ombudsman may pay retention allowances (bonuses) of up to 25% of basic pay to employees assigned to assist with geothermal authorizations, subject to available funds.

This incentivizes specialized employees to remain in critical roles, ensuring the continued availability of essential expertise for geothermal permitting.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment

Appointment of Geothermal Ombudsman

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment

Establishment of Geothermal Permitting Task Force

Annually

Annual report submission to Congress

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Geothermal authorization: Any type of government approval, like a license or permit, needed from the Bureau of Land Management to build or operate a geothermal energy project on public land.
Geothermal energy project: A project on public land that uses heat from the Earth's interior to generate electricity or heat.
Public land: Government-owned land where geothermal energy development leases can be granted.
Ombudsman: An official appointed to investigate complaints, mediate disputes, and help resolve issues, typically within a government agency or organization.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM): A U.S. government agency that manages over 245 million acres of public land, primarily in the western states, overseeing various uses including energy development.
Retention allowance: An additional payment or bonus given to an employee to encourage them to remain in their job, often due to their specialized skills or the difficulty of replacing them.

ACTION TIMELINE

37 EVENTS

JUL 29

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

COMMITTEE

JUL 15

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.

COMMITTEE

JUN 3

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

INTROREFERRAL

JUN 3

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

INTROREFERRAL

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Committee Referrals

Natural Resources CommitteeReferred

May 20, 2026

house

Related Hearings

Business meeting to consider S.365 and H.R.1729, bills to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado, S.764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, S.791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, S.888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, S.945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, S.1005, to provide for conservation and economic development in the State of Nevada, S.1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, S.1195, to promote conservation, improve public land management, and provide for sensible development in Pershing County, Nevada, S.1257, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, S.1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, S.1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws, S.1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S.1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, S.1777, to amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to expand the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, to redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the "Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center", S.1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, S.2498, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to bidding, S.2767 and H.R.5254, bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation to host private events in Gateway Arch National Park buildings, S.2801, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area, S.2887, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Route 66 National Historic Trail, S.2933, to redesignate a playground in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in the State of West Virginia as the "Hearts of Gold Playground: In Honor of West Virginia Children and Families Impacted by Childhood Cancer", S.2968, to ensure access to certain public land, S.3194, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land in California as the Monterey Bay National Heritage Area, S.3313 and H.R.6365, bills to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on certain National Park Service land in the State of Virginia, S.3409, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River while protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from undue financial and operational burdens, S.3635 and H.R. 7250, bills to reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000, S.3715 and H.R.6380, bills to establish the Chiricahua N

Energy and Natural Resources Committee (senate)Jul 29, 2026

Video

Legislative Hearing on the following bills: • H.R. 301 (Rep. Maloy), “Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act” or the “GEO Act” • H.R. 398 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez), “Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025” • H.R. 1077 (Rep. Lee), “Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act” or the “STEAM Act” • H.R. 1687 (Rep. Fulcher), “Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act” or the “CLEAN Act” • H.R. 5576 (Rep. Fulcher), “Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act” • H.R. 5587 (Rep. Kim), “Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act” or the “HEATS Act” • H.R. 5617 (Rep. Ansari), “Geothermal Gold Book Development Act” • H.R. 5631 (Rep. Hurd), “Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act” • H.R. 5638 (Rep. Kennedy of UT), “Geothermal Royalty Reform Act”

Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee (house)Dec 16, 202510 witnesses

Video

Hearings to examine S.1791, to designate certain special management areas, wildlife conservation areas, protection areas, recreation areas, wilderness areas, and a scientific research and education area in the State of Colorado, S.4200, to promote conservation, improve public land, and provide for sensible development in Douglas County, Nevada, S.4239, to require the Secretary of the Interior to annually submit to Congress, and make publicly available on a website, a report on decommissioning offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines, S.4383, to appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman and establish a Geothermal Permitting Task Force from within the Bureau of Land Management, S.4410, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for the payment of bonus payments of certain coal leases issued under that Act, S.4458, to establish the Caja del Rio Special Management Area and Caja del Rio National Conservation Area in the State of New Mexico, S.4561, to modernize and streamline the permitting process for broadband infrastructure on Federal land, S.4605, to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to provide cost-recovery authority for the Department of the Interior, S.4715, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to establish fitness to operate standards and decommissioning escrow accounts for offshore oil and gas operators, H.R.655, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federal land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, S.4960 and H.R.1687, to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to increase the frequency of lease sales, to require replacement sales, H.R.4090, to codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, S.4975 and H.R.5587, to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for certain activities, to exempt certain activities from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, H.R.5631, to appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman and establish a Geothermal Permitting Task Force from within the Bureau of Land Management, and H.R.7831, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to extend the period of time during which the Secretary of the Interior is required to collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill.

Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee (senate)

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Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

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Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

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