I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6482 
To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration 
for geothermal resources under geothermal leases, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 28, 2023 
Mr. FULCHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote 
timely exploration for geothermal resources under geo-
thermal leases, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhancing Geothermal 
Production on Federal Lands Act’’. 
SEC. 2. GEOTHERMAL PRODUCTION ON FEDERAL LANDS. 
The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 30. GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECT.— 
The term ‘geothermal exploration project’ means the 
drilling of a temperature gradient well, monitoring 
well, calibration well, or another geothermal explor-
atory well, including construction or making im-
provements for such activities, on lands for which 
the Secretary has issued a geothermal lease— 
‘‘(A) that is carried out by the holder of 
the lease; 
‘‘(B) for which— 
‘‘(i) the last cemented casing string 
has an outer diameter of less than 13 
inches; and 
‘‘(ii) the total unreclaimed surface dis-
turbance at any one time within the 
project area is less than 5 acres, not in-
cluding the area of a permanent or tem-
porary access road; 
‘‘(C) that is completed in less than 120 
days, including the removal of any surface in-
frastructure from the project area; and 
‘‘(D) that requires the restoration of the 
project area within 3 years of the date of first 
exploration drilling to approximately the condi-
tion that existed at the time the project began, 
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unless the project area is subsequently used as 
part of energy development under the lease. 
‘‘(2) COVERED ACTIVITY.—The term ‘covered 
activity’ includes, with respect to exploration, devel-
opment, or production (including direct use) of geo-
thermal resources— 
‘‘(A) a geotechnical investigation; 
‘‘(B) off-road travel in a right-of-way es-
tablished by Congress, granted by a Federal 
agency, or included in a land use plan; and 
‘‘(C) construction, maintenance, realign-
ment, and repair of an existing permanent or 
temporary access road within a right-of-way es-
tablished by Congress, granted by a Federal 
agency, or included in a land use plan. 
‘‘(b) NON-MAJOR FEDERAL ACTION.—Geothermal 
exploration projects and covered activities shall not be con-
sidered major Federal actions under section 102(2)(C) of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332(2)(C)). 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE NOTICE.—The 
holder of a geothermal lease shall provide to the Secretary 
notice of their intent to carry out a geothermal exploration 
project at least 30 days before the start of drilling under 
the project.’’. 
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SEC. 3. GEOTHERMAL LEASING PRIORITY AREAS. 
The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001 
et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 31. GEOTHERMAL LEASING PRIORITY AREAS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF COVERED LAND.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘covered land’ means land that is— 
‘‘(1) Federal land; and 
‘‘(2) not excluded from the development of geo-
thermal energy under— 
‘‘(A) a land use plan established under the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or 
‘‘(B) any other Federal law. 
‘‘(b) DESIGNATION OF GEOTHERMAL LEASING PRI-
ORITY AREAS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Energy, shall designate portions of covered 
land as geothermal leasing priority areas as soon as prac-
ticable, but not later than 5 years, after the date of enact-
ment of this section. 
‘‘(c) CRITERIA
FOR SELECTION.—In determining 
which covered lands to designate as geothermal leasing 
priority areas under subsection (b), the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall consider if— 
‘‘(1) the covered land is preferable for geo-
thermal leasing; 
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‘‘(2) production of geothermal energy on such 
land is economically viable, including if such land 
has access to methods of energy transmission; and 
‘‘(3) the designation would be in compliance 
with section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712), includ-
ing subsection (c)(9) of such section. 
‘‘(d) REVIEW
AND MODIFICATION.—Not less fre-
quently than once every 5 years, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) review covered land and, if appropriate, 
make additional designations of geothermal leasing 
priority areas; and 
‘‘(2) review each area designated as a geo-
thermal leasing priority area under this section, and, 
if appropriate, remove such designation. 
‘‘(e) 
PROGRAMMATIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT 
STATEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) INITIAL DESIGNATIONS.—Not later than 
one year after the initial designation of a geothermal 
leasing priority area, the Secretary shall prepare a 
supplement to any final programmatic environmental 
impact statement for geothermal leasing that is the 
most recently finalized such statement with respect 
to covered land designated as a geothermal leasing 
priority area under subsection (b). 
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‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT DESIGNATIONS.—Each des-
ignation of a geothermal leasing priority area under 
subsection (b) shall be included in a programmatic 
environmental impact statement for geothermal leas-
ing or in a supplement to such a statement. 
‘‘(3) CONSULTATIONS.—In developing any pro-
grammatic environmental impact statement for geo-
thermal leasing or supplement to such a statement 
under this section, the Secretary shall consult, on an 
ongoing basis, with appropriate State, Tribal, and 
local governments, transmission infrastructure own-
ers and operators, developers, and other appropriate 
entities. 
‘‘(4) PROCEDURE.—The Secretary may not 
delay issuing a permit or holding a lease sale under 
this Act because the supplement required under 
paragraph (1) has not been finalized by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(f) COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA.—If the Secretary 
determines that the designation of a geothermal leasing 
priority area has been sufficiently analyzed by a pro-
grammatic environmental impact statement, the Secretary 
shall not prepare any additional analysis under the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 
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et seq.) with respect to geothermal lease sales for such 
geothermal leasing priority area.’’. 
Æ 
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