To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas.

Bill: 118-hr-6474
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Steel, Michelle [R-CA-45]
Introduced: 2023-11-21
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources

Electric power generation and transmission

Mining
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-25
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-11-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill expedites the environmental review of certain geothermal energy activities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill modifies the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow a categorical exclusion under NEPA for drilling a geothermal well (1) in an area where drilling has occurred previously within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins; or (2) within a developed field for which an approved land use plan or environmental document prepared under NEPA determined drilling to be a reasonably foreseeable activity, so long as the plan or document was approved within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

action_date: 2024-09-18
action_desc: Reported to House
text: <p>This bill expedites the environmental review of certain geothermal energy activities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill modifies the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow a categorical exclusion under NEPA for drilling a geothermal well (1) in an area where drilling has occurred previously within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins; or (2) within a developed field for which an approved land use plan or environmental document prepared under NEPA determined drilling to be a reasonably foreseeable activity, so long as the plan or document was approved within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

action_date: 2024-09-24
action_desc: Passed House
text: <p>This bill expedites the environmental review of certain geothermal energy activities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill modifies the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow a categorical exclusion under NEPA for drilling a geothermal well (1) in an area where drilling has occurred previously within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins; or (2) within a developed field for which an approved land use plan or environmental document prepared under NEPA determined drilling to be a reasonably foreseeable activity, so long as the plan or document was approved within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: IIB 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6474 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 25, 2024 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources AN ACT To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas.

1. NEPA review Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15942 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting , or the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 ( 30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ) for the purpose of exploration or development of geothermal resources after or gas ; and (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal ; and (B) in paragraph (3), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal .

Passed the House of Representatives September 24, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6474 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas.

1. NEPA review Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15942 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting , or the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 ( 30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ) for the purpose of exploration or development of geothermal resources after or gas ; and (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal ; and (B) in paragraph (3), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal .

Passed the House of Representatives September 24, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 583 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6474 [Report No. 118–689] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 21, 2023 Mrs. Steel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources September 18, 2024 Additional sponsor: Ms. Lee of Nevada September 18, 2024 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed A BILL To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas.

1. NEPA review Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15942 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting , or the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 ( 30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ) for the purpose of exploration or development of geothermal resources after or gas ; and (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal ; and (B) in paragraph (3), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal .

September 18, 2024 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6474 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 21, 2023 Mrs. Steel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas.

1. NEPA review Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15942 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting , or the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 ( 30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ) for the purpose of exploration or development of geothermal resources after or gas ; and (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal ; and (B) in paragraph (3), by striking or gas and inserting , gas, or geothermal .