The federal government currently absorbs the administrative costs of processing geothermal energy lease applications and inspecting geothermal operations on public lands. This bill would allow the Department of the Interior to charge those costs back to geothermal lease applicants and holders — covering permit processing, drilling inspections, and site monitoring — through September 30, 2032. The Secretary of the Interior can reduce or waive fees when full reimbursement would cause economic hardship or would discourage geothermal energy development. Any money collected would be credited back to the Interior Department's geothermal program to fund those same activities. The Department must also publish a public report within five years assessing how the cost-recovery program affected the Bureau of Land Management's geothermal leasing program.
Transparency & Accountability
- BLM geothermal program reporting — Mandatory 5-year public report on cost-recovery impact and reauthorization recommendations
Congressional Summary
Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to give the Department of the Interior the authority to collect certain fees from applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases through September 30, 2032. Specifically, Interior may direct those applicants or leaseholders to reimburse the United States for costs from (1) processing applications for geothermal leases on federal land, such as applications for geothermal drilling permits; and (2) inspecting and monitoring geothermal exploration and development activities, including reclamation activities.Interior may reduce the amount of the fee if it determines that (1) the full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant, or (2) a less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources.Interior may use those fees only to the extent that they are provided in advance in appropriations acts for (1) processing applications for geothermal leases, and (2) inspecting and monitoring related exploration and development activities.Within five years of the bill's enactment, Interior must submit to Congress a report that includes an assessment of how the fees affect Interior's geothermal leasing program and any recommendations for updates to the fees and the program.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-05-20
- Date Added
- 2026-06-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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