I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 174
To encourage greater use of geothermal energy resources. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2005
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Ag-
riculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To encourage greater use of geothermal energy resources.
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 ‘‘Geothermal Energy 
Initiative Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The last national resource assessment of 
geothermal energy resource sites in the United 
States was completed in 1978. There have been sub-
stantial changes in technology and advances in geo-
logical science in the intervening 26 years. 
(2) Many Federal land management agencies, 
including the Bureau of Land Management and the 
Forest Service, are not aware of geothermal energy 
resources and fail to recognize geothermal energy re-
sources in their land use planning process. Failure 
to recognize geothermal energy resources during the 
land use planning process poses significant delays in 
geothermal resource development. 
(3) The Bureau of Land Management has a 
backlog of 230 lease applications for prospecting for 
geothermal energy. The average age of these lease 
applications is 9 years. The oldest non-competitive 
application was received in 1974. 
(4) There appears to be a lack of focus and pri-
ority in the Bureau of Land Management concerning 
geothermal energy efforts. 
(5) Development of geothermal energy re-
sources is environmentally safe and clean. 
SEC. 
3. 
ASSESSMENT 
OF 
GEOTHERMAL 
ENERGY 
RE-
SOURCES. 
(a) RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 3 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
each year thereafter, the Secretary of Energy shall review
the available assessments of geothermal energy resources 
available within the United States and undertake new as-
sessments as necessary, taking into account changes in 
market conditions, available technologies, and other rel-
evant factors. 
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each year 
thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a report based on 
the assessment under subsection (a). The report shall con-
tain a detailed inventory describing the available amount 
and characteristics of the geothermal energy resources, in-
cluding—
(1) descriptions of surrounding terrain, popu-
lation and load centers, nearby energy infrastruc-
ture, location of energy and water resources, and 
available estimates of the costs needed to develop 
each resource; 
(2) an identification of any barriers to pro-
viding adequate transmission for remote sources of 
geothermal energy resources to current and emerg-
ing markets; 
(3) recommendations for removing or address-
ing such barriers; and
(4) ways to provide access to the grid that do 
not unfairly disadvantage renewable or other energy 
producers. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section there is authorized to be appropriated to 
the Secretary of the Interior $5,000,000 for fiscal years 
2006, 2007, and 2008. 
SEC. 4. ENHANCED ACCESS TO FEDERAL LANDS FOR GEO-
THERMAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) REVISION OF LAND USE PLANS.—
(1) PUBLIC LANDS.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall expedite development of geothermal energy 
in making revisions to land use plans under section 
202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 1712) while protecting other 
resources. 
(2) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.—The 
Secretary of Agriculture shall expedite development 
of geothermal energy in making revisions of land 
and resource management plans under section 6 of 
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604) while pro-
tecting other resources. 
(3) ISSUANCE
OF
RIGHTS-OF-WAY
NOT
AF-
FECTED.—Nothing in this subsection shall preclude
the issuance of a right-of-way for the development of 
a geothermal energy project prior to the revision of 
a land use plan by the appropriate land management 
agency. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Within 24 months after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
of the Interior shall develop and report to the Congress 
recommendations on any statutory or regulatory changes 
the Secretary believes would assist in the development of 
geothermal energy on Federal land. The report shall in-
clude—
(1) a 5-year plan developed by the Secretary of 
the Interior, in cooperation with the Secretary of 
Agriculture, for encouraging the development of geo-
thermal energy on Federal land in an environ-
mentally sound manner; 
(2) an analysis of—
(A) whether the use of rights-of-ways is 
the best means of authorizing use of Federal 
land for the development of geothermal energy, 
or whether such resources could be better devel-
oped through a leasing system or other method; 
(B) the desirability of grants, loans, tax 
credits, or other provisions to promote geo-
thermal energy development on Federal land; 
and 
(C) any problems, including environmental 
concerns, that the Secretary of the Interior or 
the Secretary of Agriculture has encountered in 
managing geothermal energy projects on Fed-
eral land, or believe are likely to arise in rela-
tion to the development of geothermal energy 
on Federal land; and 
(3) a list, developed in consultation with the 
Secretaries of Energy and Defense, of lands under 
the jurisdiction of the Departments of Energy and 
Defense, respectively, that would be suitable for de-
velopment for geothermal energy, and recommended 
statutory and regulatory mechanisms for such devel-
opment. 
SEC. 5. CONSULTATION REGARDING GEOTHERMAL LEAS-
ING AND PERMITTING ON PUBLIC LANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into 
and submit to the Congress a memorandum of under-
standing in accordance with this section regarding leasing 
and permitting, for geothermal development, of public 
lands under their respective administrative jurisdictions.