WASHINGTON — The House is expected next week to consider a measure intended to help speed up permitting of geothermal projects on public lands.

The legislation includes portions of six bills from Republicans and Democrats that the House Natural Resources Committee approved in March. The bills had bipartisan backing in committee, and their placement on the suspension calendar suggests leaders expect similar support on the floor.

The bill being used as the base of the broader legislation was introduced by Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo. His original bill would require the Interior secretary to designate a geothermal ombudsman within the Bureau of Land Management. This ombudsman would act as a liaison between various BLM offices and officials, with the goal of facilitating the permitting process for geothermal projects on public lands.

Hurd’s district is rated “Likely Republican” by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and in a committee hearing he suggested his bill and other support for geothermal developers would benefit communities in western Colorado.

The version of Hurd’s bill that the House could consider next week under suspension of the rules has been amended to include other text from other bills, including one introduced by Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, that would require the Interior Department to approve or deny geothermal applications within 60 days after completing the legally required reviews under laws including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.

In 2024, the House passed a similar bill from then-Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, but the Senate never took it up.

The measure on next week’s suspension calendar also includes the text of a bill introduced by Rep. Susie Lee, R-Nev., that would extend a categorical exclusion from NEPA requirements for geothermal drilling that is conducted in areas where NEPA permitting drilling took place in the last five years.

In addition, it includes the text of a bill that would require the department to develop standards, procedures and guidelines for geothermal permitting, another that would allow the Interior Department to charge fees to recover costs for reviewing applications, and one that would allow geothermal facilities on the same lease to pay different royalties based on each facility’s time in service.

These bills were introduced by Reps. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz.; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; and Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, respectively. The committee approved all the measures included in Hurd’s amended bill en bloc by consent vote.

Geothermal is a zero-emissions form of energy and a constantly running baseload power, the latter of which the Trump administration has sought to support because of increased demands from data centers.

Democrats gave a boost to geothermal energy in their 2022 reconciliation law, and those tax credits, along with those for nuclear energy projects, were spared when Republicans passed their own reconciliation law last year. The issue has developed support from both sides of the aisle over the years.

Last month, the House passed a bill that would exempt geothermal exploration and development projects on state or privately owned land from federal permitting requirements, even when federal subsurface resources exist.

The vote was 231-186, with 22 Democrats and one independent joining all Republicans in supporting the bill. However, Democrats who were opposed raised concerns it would have unintended consequences and could affect how companies are held liable for damages.

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