Washington, DC – Tuesday, June 2, 2026 – ClearPath Action released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan package of geothermal energy bills, including H.R. 1687, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now (CLEAN) Act and H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act. This legislation modernizes federal permitting for geothermal development and clears the way to unlock one of America’s most underutilized domestic energy resources.

“To meet rising demand, America needs more affordable, reliable power from all energy sources, including geothermal,” said ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell. “This package streamlines federal permitting and leasing for geothermal resources, giving American innovators the predictability they need to build at scale.”

The package passed today addresses the core permitting barriers that have kept the technology sidelined on federal lands, where geothermal development can trigger separate NEPA reviews up to six times over a project’s lifespan.

The Geothermal Energy Advancement Act includes language from six bills that previously passed the House Committee on Natural Resources by unanimous consent, including:

• GEO Act (H.R. 301) - requires the Interior Department to process geothermal lease applications within 60 days of completing applicable federal requirements;
• Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025 (H.R. 398) - allows Interior to recover certain costs from geothermal companies during the permitting process;
• STEAM Act (H.R. 1077) - expands Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite NEPA reviews for geothermal activities;
• Geothermal Gold Book Development Act (H.R.5617) - directs Interior to establish standardized environmental guidelines for geothermal projects across field offices;
• Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act (H.R.5631) - establishes a geothermal ombudsman and dedicated permitting task force within the Interior department; and
• Geothermal Royalty Reform Act (H.R. 5638) - updates royalty-sharing metrics for geothermal facilities.

The CLEAN Act increases the frequency of geothermal lease sales and requires the Bureau of Land Management to make updates to its process to offer nominated parcels for sale.

“These bipartisan geothermal bills will increase predictability, standardize best practices and give the Bureau of Land Management the resources and expertise necessary to permit more geothermal projects on a faster timeline,” added Harrell. “American innovators have always risen to the occasion, and can do the same with geothermal.”

Media Contact:
Emily Johnson
emily@clearpathaction.org
(678) 761-1864

ABOUT CLEARPATH ACTION

ClearPath Action 501(c)(4) advocates for more clean energy innovation, modernized permitting and regulatory reform, America’s global competitiveness for manufacturing, and unlocking more American resources — solutions drawn from our friends at ClearPath. Learn more at clearpathaction.org. Follow us on X: @ClearPathAction, @jharrell