House · HR 5587 · 119th Congress
HEATS Act
Sign in to cast a dissent vote.
Summary
This bill removes the need for a federal drilling permit when companies want to explore or produce geothermal energy on non-federal land. It also skips federal environmental and historic preservation reviews for those projects. It affects private and state lands where the federal government owns less than half of the underground geothermal resource.
In Favor
Geothermal energy is clean and reliable, but federal permit delays slow projects on land the government barely owns. This bill lets operators use a state permit instead when the federal share is under 50 percent. States already review surface and groundwater impacts, so removing the extra federal layer speeds up clean energy without dropping key protections.
Against
Skipping federal review means no one checks how drilling affects groundwater, wildlife, or nearby landowners. State permits vary widely and may miss risks like sinkholes or water contamination that cross property lines. Federal oversight is often the only protection surface owners have when someone else holds the mineral rights below their land.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill removes the requirement for a federal drilling permit for geothermal energy projects on certain non-federal land where the U.S. owns less than half of the underground resources. The operator must hold a state permit and submit it to the federal government before starting work.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The bill's provisions stay focused on removing federal permit and review steps for qualifying geothermal projects. It also removes review duties under the Endangered Species Act and limits review under the National Historic Preservation Act for these same projects.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Geothermal operators on non-federal land with minority federal subsurface ownership face fewer federal steps to begin work. The Bureau of Land Management loses its current authority to review and permit these projects. Indian lands and tribal trust resources are fully excluded from the bill's changes.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill does not authorize or appropriate any dollar amount. It removes a federal permitting process, which shifts the cost of overseeing these projects away from the federal agency. Royalties owed to the United States for geothermal production remain in place and are not changed by this bill.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill requires the operator to hold a state permit, so its effect depends on whether each state runs its own permitting program. The federal government retains royalty inspection rights but loses the permit process it currently uses to review project plans before work begins.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 5/31/2026