side priority areas. Rental rates and capacity fees 
for projects that are within the boundaries of a Des-
ignated Leasing Area but not formally recognized as 
being in such an area shall be equivalent to rents 
and fees for new leases inside of a Designated Leas-
ing Area. 
SEC. 8. LIMITED GRANDFATHERING. 
(a) DEFINITION OF PROJECT.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘project’’ means a system described in section 
2801.9(a)(4) of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
in effect on the date of enactment of this Act). 
(b) REQUIREMENT TO PAY RENTS AND FEES.—The 
owner of a project that applied for a right-of-way under 
section 501 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761) on or before December 19, 
2016, shall be obligated to pay with respect to the right- 
of-way all rents and fees in effect before the effective date 
of the rule of the Bureau of Land Management entitled 
‘‘Competitive Processes, Terms, and Conditions for Leas-
ing Public Lands for Solar and Wind Energy Development 
and Technical Changes and Corrections’’ (81 Fed. Reg. 
92122 (December 19, 2016)). 
SEC. 9. RENEWABLE ENERGY GOAL. 
The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
seek to issue permits that, in total, authorize production 
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of not less than 25 gigawatts of electricity from wind, 
solar, and geothermal energy projects by not later than 
2025, through management of public lands and adminis-
tration of Federal laws. 
SEC. 10. DISPOSITION OF REVENUES. 
(a) DISPOSITION OF REVENUES.—Beginning on Jan-
uary 1, 2020, of the amounts collected as bonus bids, rent-
als, fees, or other payments under a right-of-way, permit, 
lease, or other authorization (other than under section 
504(g) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1764(g))) for the development of wind 
or solar energy on covered land, the following shall be 
made available without further appropriation or fiscal year 
limitation as follows: 
(1) Twenty-five percent shall be paid by the 
Secretary of the Treasury to the State within the 
boundaries of which the revenue is derived. 
(2) Twenty-five percent shall be paid by the 
Secretary of the Treasury to the one or more coun-
ties within the boundaries of which the revenue is 
derived, to be allocated among the counties based on 
the percentage of land from which the revenue is de-
rived. 
(3) Fifteen percent shall be deposited in the 
Treasury and be made available to the Secretary to 
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carry out the program established under this Act, in-
cluding the transfer of the funds by the Bureau of 
Land Management to other Federal agencies and 
State agencies to facilitate the processing of renew-
able energy permits on Federal land, with priority 
given to using the amounts, to the maximum extent 
practicable without detrimental impacts to emerging 
markets, to expediting the issuance of permits re-
quired for the development of renewable energy 
projects in the States from which the revenues are 
derived. 
(4) Twenty-five percent shall be deposited in 
the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund 
established by subsection (c). 
(5) The remainder shall be deposited into the 
general fund of the Treasury for purposes of reduc-
ing the annual Federal budget deficit. 
(b) PAYMENTS TO STATES AND COUNTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts paid to States and 
counties under subsection (a) shall be used con-
sistent with section 35 of the Mineral Leasing Act 
(30 U.S.C. 191). 
(2) PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES.—A payment 
to a county under paragraph (1) shall be in addition 
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to a payment in lieu of taxes received by the county 
under chapter 69 of title 31, United States Code. 
(c) RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE CONSERVATION 
FUND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the 
Treasury a fund to be known as the Renewable En-
ergy Resource Conservation Fund, which shall be 
administered by the Secretary, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may make 
amounts in the Fund available to Federal, State, 
and Tribal agencies to be distributed in regions in 
which renewable energy projects are located on Fed-
eral land, for the purposes of— 
(A) restoring and protecting— 
(i) fish and wildlife habitat for af-
fected species; 
(ii) fish and wildlife corridors for af-
fected species; and 
(iii) water resources in areas affected 
by wind, geothermal, or solar energy devel-
opment; and 
(B) preserving and improving recreational 
access to Federal land and water in an affected 
region through an easement, right-of-way, or 
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other instrument from willing landowners for 
the purpose of enhancing public access to exist-
ing Federal land and water that is inaccessible 
or restricted. 
(3) RESTRICTION
ON
USE
OF
FUNDS.—No 
funds made available under this subsection may be 
used for the purchase of real property unless in ful-
fillment of paragraph (2)(B). 
(4) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary may enter 
into cooperative agreements with State and Tribal 
agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other appro-
priate entities to carry out the activities described in 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2). 
(5) INVESTMENT OF FUND.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Any amounts deposited 
in the Fund shall earn interest in an amount 
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury on 
the basis of the current average market yield on 
outstanding marketable obligations of the 
United States of comparable maturities. 
(B) USE.—Any interest earned under sub-
paragraph (A) may be expended in accordance 
with this subsection. 
(6) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—At the end of each 
fiscal year, the Secretary shall report to the Com-
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mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources of the Senate— 
(A) the amount collected as described in 
subsection (a), by source, during that fiscal 
year; 
(B) the amount and purpose of payments 
during that fiscal year to each Federal, State, 
and Tribal agency under paragraph (2); and 
(C) the amount remaining in the Fund at 
the end of the fiscal year. 
(7) INTENT OF CONGRESS.—It is the intent of 
Congress that the revenues deposited and used in 
the Fund shall supplement (and not supplant) an-
nual appropriations for activities described in sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2). 
SEC. 11. PROMOTING AND ENHANCING DEVELOPMENT OF 
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 234(a) of the Energy Pol-
icy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15873(a)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘in the first 5 fiscal years beginning after the date 
of the enactment of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘through fis-
cal year 2022’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 234(b) of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15873(b)) is amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘Amounts’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION.—Effective for fiscal year 
2019 and each fiscal year thereafter, amounts de-
posited under subsection (a) shall be available to the 
Secretary of the Interior for expenditure, without 
further appropriation or fiscal year limitation, to im-
plement the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 
U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) and this Act.’’. 
SEC. 12. FACILITATION OF COPRODUCTION OF GEO-
THERMAL ENERGY ON OIL AND GAS LEASES. 
Section 4(b) of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 
(30 U.S.C. 1003(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(4) LAND SUBJECT TO OIL AND GAS LEASE.— 
Land under an oil and gas lease issued pursuant to 
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) or 
the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 
U.S.C. 351 et seq.) that is subject to an approved 
application for permit to drill and from which oil 
and gas production is occurring may be available for 
noncompetitive leasing under subsection (c) by the 
holder of the oil and gas lease— 
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‘‘(A) on a determination that geothermal 
energy will be produced from a well producing 
or capable of producing oil and gas; and 
‘‘(B) in order to provide for the coproduc-
tion of geothermal energy with oil and gas.’’. 
SEC. 13. NONCOMPETITIVE LEASING OF ADJOINING AREAS 
FOR DEVELOPMENT OF GEOTHERMAL RE-
SOURCES. 
Section 4(b) of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 
(30 U.S.C. 1003(b)) is further amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(5) ADJOINING LAND.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) 
FAIR
MARKET
VALUE
PER 
ACRE.—The term ‘fair market value per 
acre’ means a dollar amount per acre 
that— 
‘‘(I) except as provided in this 
clause, shall be equal to the market 
value per acre (taking into account 
the determination under subparagraph 
(B)(iii) regarding a valid discovery on 
the adjoining land) as determined by 
the Secretary under regulations issued 
under this paragraph; 
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‘‘(II) shall be determined by the 
Secretary with respect to a lease 
under this paragraph, by not later 
than the end of the 180-day period 
beginning on the date the Secretary 
receives an application for the lease; 
and 
‘‘(III) shall be not less than the 
greater of— 
‘‘(aa) 4 times the median 
amount paid per acre for all land 
leased under this Act during the 
preceding year; or 
‘‘(bb) $50. 
‘‘(ii) 
INDUSTRY
STANDARDS.—The 
term ‘industry standards’ means the stand-
ards by which a qualified geothermal pro-
fessional assesses whether downhole or 
flowing temperature measurements with 
indications of permeability are sufficient to 
produce energy from geothermal resources, 
as determined through flow or injection 
testing or measurement of lost circulation 
while drilling. 
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‘‘(iii) QUALIFIED
FEDERAL
LAND.— 
The term ‘qualified Federal land’ means 
land that is otherwise available for leasing 
under this Act. 
‘‘(iv) QUALIFIED GEOTHERMAL PRO-
FESSIONAL.—The 
term 
‘qualified 
geo-
thermal professional’ means an individual 
who is an engineer or geoscientist in good 
professional standing with at least 5 years 
of experience in geothermal exploration, 
development, or project assessment. 
‘‘(v) QUALIFIED LESSEE.—The term 
‘qualified lessee’ means a person who may 
hold a geothermal lease under this Act (in-
cluding applicable regulations). 
‘‘(vi) VALID
DISCOVERY.—The term 
‘valid discovery’ means a discovery of a 
geothermal resource by a new or existing 
slim hole or production well, that exhibits 
downhole or flowing temperature measure-
ments with indications of permeability that 
are sufficient to meet industry standards. 
‘‘(B) AUTHORITY.—An area of qualified 
Federal land that adjoins other land for which 
a qualified lessee holds a legal right to develop 
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geothermal resources may be available for a 
noncompetitive lease under this section to the 
qualified lessee at the fair market value per 
acre, if— 
‘‘(i) the area of qualified Federal 
land— 
‘‘(I) consists of not less than 1 
acre and not more than 640 acres; 
and 
‘‘(II) is not already leased under 
this Act or nominated to be leased 
under subsection (a); 
‘‘(ii) the qualified lessee has not pre-
viously received a noncompetitive lease 
under this paragraph in connection with 
the valid discovery for which data has been 
submitted under clause (iii)(I); and 
‘‘(iii) sufficient geological and other 
technical data prepared by a qualified geo-
thermal professional has been submitted by 
the qualified lessee to the applicable Fed-
eral land management agency that would 
lead individuals who are experienced in the 
subject matter to believe that— 
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‘‘(I) there is a valid discovery of 
geothermal resources on the land for 
which the qualified lessee holds the 
legal right to develop geothermal re-
sources; and 
‘‘(II) that geothermal feature ex-
tends into the adjoining areas. 
‘‘(C) DETERMINATION
OF
FAIR
MARKET 
VALUE.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(I) publish a notice of any re-
quest to lease land under this para-
graph; 
‘‘(II) determine fair market value 
for purposes of this paragraph in ac-
cordance with procedures for making 
those determinations that are estab-
lished by regulations issued by the 
Secretary; 
‘‘(III) provide to a qualified les-
see and publish, with an opportunity 
for public comment for a period of 30 
days, any proposed determination 
under this subparagraph of the fair 
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market value of an area that the 
qualified lessee seeks to lease under 
this paragraph; and 
‘‘(IV) provide to the qualified les-
see and any adversely affected party 
the opportunity to appeal the final de-
termination of fair market value in an 
administrative proceeding before the 
applicable Federal land management 
agency, in accordance with applicable 
law (including regulations). 
‘‘(ii) LIMITATION ON NOMINATION.— 
After publication of a notice of request to 
lease land under this paragraph, the Sec-
retary may not accept under subsection (a) 
any nomination of the land for leasing un-
less the request has been denied or with-
drawn. 
‘‘(iii) ANNUAL
RENTAL.—For pur-
poses of section 5(a)(3), a lease awarded 
under this paragraph shall be considered a 
lease awarded in a competitive lease sale. 
‘‘(D) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 270 
days after the date of the enactment of this 
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paragraph, the Secretary shall issue regulations 
to carry out this paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 14. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the 
Secretary shall continue to manage public lands under the 
principles of multiple use and sustained yield in accord-
ance with title I of the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), including due 
consideration of mineral and nonrenewable energy-related 
projects and other nonrenewable energy uses, for the pur-
poses of land use planning, permit processing, and con-
ducting environmental reviews. 
Æ 
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