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: 
‘‘(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 
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area is less than 5 acres, not including the 
area of a permanent or temporary access 
road; 
‘‘(C) that is completed in less than 120 
days, including the removal of any surface infra-
structure 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, 
unless the project area is subsequently used as 
part of energy development under the lease. 
‘‘(2) COVERED ACTIVITY.—The term ‘covered ac-
tivity’ includes, with respect to exploration, develop-
ment, or production (including direct use) of geo-
thermal resources— 
‘‘(A) a geotechnical investigation; 
‘‘(B) off-road travel in a right-of-way estab-
lished 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. 
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‘‘(b) NON-MAJOR FEDERAL ACTION.—Geothermal ex-
ploration projects and covered activities shall not be consid-
ered 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.’’. 
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 section, 
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. 
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‘‘(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 pri-
ority areas under subsection (b), the Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Energy, shall consider if— 
‘‘(1) the covered land is preferable for geothermal 
leasing; 
‘‘(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), including 
subsection (c)(9) of such section. 
‘‘(d) REVIEW AND MODIFICATION.—Not less frequently 
than once every 5 years, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) review covered land and, if appropriate, 
make additional designations of geothermal leasing 
priority areas; and 
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‘‘(2) review each area designated as a geothermal 
leasing priority area under this section, and, if ap-
propriate, remove such designation. 
‘‘(e) PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATE-
MENT.— 
‘‘(1) INITIAL DESIGNATIONS.—Not later than one 
year after the initial designation of a geothermal leas-
ing priority area, the Secretary shall prepare a sup-
plement 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 pri-
ority area under subsection (b). 
‘‘(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 owners 
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and operators, developers, and other appropriate enti-
ties. 
‘‘(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 Secretary. 
‘‘(f) COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA.—If the Secretary de-
termines that the designation of a geothermal leasing pri-
ority 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 
et seq.) with respect to geothermal lease sales for such geo-
thermal leasing priority area.’’. 
SEC. 4. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) pursuant to section 109 of the National En-
vironmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4336c), as 
amended by section 321(b) of the Fiscal Responsi-
bility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118–5), the Bureau of 
Land Management announced on April 15, 2024, it 
had adopted categorical exclusions from the Depart-
ment of the Navy and the United States Forest Serv-
ice for geothermal exploration; and 
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(2) if appropriately used, these categorical exclu-
sions are expected to expedite the review and approval 
of geothermal exploration proposals on Bureau of 
Land Management lands. 
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Union Calendar No. 678 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6482 
[Report No. 118–831] 
A BILL 
To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to 
promote timely exploration for geothermal re-
sources under geothermal leases, and for other 
purposes. 
DECEMBER 10, 2024 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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