HR-5617 — Geothermal Gold Book Development Act

YourVoice.Now Summary

Environment

Updates the federal drilling rulebook to cover geothermal energy projects on public land

Environment

Permit guide for geothermal energy on federal land — due within 21 months

The Interior Department would add steps for exploring, permitting, building, and drilling geothermal sites to its oil and gas rulebook. The guide must follow all existing laws, and local land offices and developers would use it.

More about this bill

Most people would see no direct change from this bill. It deals with how the government handles geothermal energy projects on federal land. Geothermal energy uses heat from deep underground to make power. The Interior Department would have one year to find what its drilling rulebook is missing for geothermal work. That rulebook, called the Gold Book, was written for oil and gas and last updated in 2007. Within 270 days after that, the department would publish an updated book that covers geothermal leases and permits. It would also give the book a new name. Before publishing, it must talk with other agencies, developers, and experts. It must review the book at least every five years and update it when needed. A House committee rewrote the bill to add geothermal rules to the existing book instead of creating a new one.

Congressional Summary

Geothermal Gold Book Development Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to identify standard procedures and guidelines for efficient and environmentally responsible geothermal leasing and permitting on federal land and include the procedures and guidelines in its Surface Operating Standards and Guidelines for Oil and Gas Exploration and Development publication, commonly known as the Gold Book. Interior must (1) publish an updated version of the Gold Book within 270 days of identifying such procedures and guidelines, and (2) review the Gold Book every five years and publish an updated version if necessary to support efficient and environmentally responsible geothermal leasing and permitting. Interior must also rename the Gold Book to reflect the incorporation of standard procedures and guidelines related to geothermal development.

Legislative Subjects

Alternative and renewable resourcesElectric power generation and transmissionGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsLand use and conservationLicensing and registrationsMiningPublic-private cooperation

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: House
Status: summarized
Action: Reported to House
Action Date: 2026-05-20
Date Added: 2026-09-28
Source: Congress.gov →

Like reading a bill in plain English?

We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.