Canary Media: House passes bipartisan measures to speed geothermal energy projects

The U.S. House just approved a bipartisan package of bills to accelerate geothermal energy as the nation clamors for more around-the-clock clean electricity.

The Geothermal Energy Advancement Act, or H.R. 5631, passed with broad support on Tuesday. The legislation — led by U.S. Reps. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) — includes the text of six bills that tackle some of the key permitting and regulatory challenges that companies face when building and scaling geothermal systems.

The measures ​“seem like low-hanging fruit, but they can actually make a tangible difference as we try and develop projects,” Ben Brenner, who leads federal policy and outreach for the geothermal startup Zanskar, told Canary Media. ​“It’s a huge milestone for these bills to pass the House.”

Also on Tuesday, the House separately passed another geothermal bill — sponsored by Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) — that aims to increase the frequency and consistency of geothermal lease sales on federal land.

America has been converting earth’s heat into electricity for nearly 70 years, beginning with The Geysers power plant in Northern California. Yet the carbon-free energy source still accounts for only 0.4% of the nation’s annual electricity generation, largely owing to geographical constraints.

A new generation of technologies has made it possible to extract heat from places without simmering hot springs and natural reservoirs. The startup Fervo Energy, which just went public, uses drilling techniques from the oil and gas industry to produce clean power from hot dry rocks. Zanskar combines artificial intelligence with boots-on-the-ground surveying to identify conventional but hidden heat resources in the U.S. West.

But so far, the federal government hasn’t adapted to meet the rising demand from developers for permits, land leases, and legal certainty, experts say. Over 90% of identified U.S. geothermal resources are beneath public lands, making the Department of the Interior a crucial player in the emerging industry’s growth.

“As technologies evolve, so must the regulatory landscape,” Terra Rogers, senior director of the Clean Air Task Force’s superhot rock geothermal program, said in a statement. She applauded Congress for taking practical steps toward ​“unlocking next-generation geothermal.”

Now, the geothermal bills head to the Senate, though it’s unclear when or how the chamber will act, E&E reported. However, Brenner said he sees ​“a real pathway toward Senate passage, whether as standalone legislation or as part of a broader permitting package.”