H.R. 301 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee May 20, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summarySets deadline for geothermal lease approvals
The bill updates the 1970 law that lets companies develop geothermal energy on public lands. It requires the Interior Department to approve or deny drilling permits and other authorizations within 60 days once they've completed all environmental and legal reviews. The clock stops if a federal court blocks the underlying lease.
How it affects you
This mainly affects geothermal energy companies and their investors, who would get faster decisions on whether they can drill. Indirectly, it could speed up geothermal energy projects that might eventually provide electricity to people in areas where geothermal resources exist, though the summary doesn't describe broader effects on consumers.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 9, 2025)
Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act or the GEO Act
This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to establish a deadline for the Department of the Interior to process applications related to geothermal leases. Specifically, Interior must process each application for a geothermal drilling permit or other authorization under a valid existing geothermal lease within 60 days after completing all requirements under applicable federal laws and regulations (including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act) unless a U.S. federal court vacates or provides injunctive relief for the underlying lease.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 301
A BILL
GEO Act
Sponsor: Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2) · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Energy · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 20, 2026: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 568.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.