Interior Department to fast-track geothermal permitting with new federal handbook

What it does

This bill directs the Department of the Interior to update and publish a standardized handbook (the 'Gold Book') for geothermal leasing and permitting on federal lands. The handbook will consolidate procedures and guidelines for efficient and environmentally responsible geothermal development, incorporating standards for exploration, drilling, construction, and compliance. The Secretary must consult with federal agencies, the Bureau of Land Management field offices, and industry stakeholders before publishing, and must review and update the handbook at least every five years.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to standardize and publish federal procedures for geothermal permitting and leasing. It is a procedural modernization measure that aims to reduce regulatory friction while maintaining environmental standards.

What the text implies

• Standardized procedures may accelerate geothermal permitting timelines, potentially increasing the pace of federal geothermal lease issuance and development on public lands.
• The bill requires consultation with 'developers and other experts' alongside federal agencies, potentially giving industry stakeholders formal input into the standards that will govern their own permitting—a capture risk if industry voices dominate the consultation.
• Renaming the Gold Book to reflect geothermal inclusion may signal a shift in Interior Department priorities toward geothermal as a primary federal energy development pathway, potentially affecting land-use planning and competing uses (conservation, recreation).
• Five-year review cycles create a predictable update schedule that industry can plan around, but also lock in standards for five years even if environmental science or climate policy shifts.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Standardized, transparent procedures for federal geothermal permitting reduce bureaucratic uncertainty, lower transaction costs for legitimate operators, and establish clear environmental compliance benchmarks. Citizens benefit from predictable environmental review standards and faster permitting that does not sacrifice environmental protection.

Who stands to gain

• geothermal energy developers and operators
• companies with geothermal leases or exploration rights on federal lands
• engineering and consulting firms specializing in geothermal permitting

Named in the bill

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Federal geothermal operators, Geothermal energy sector

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Sep 30, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Sep 30, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Dec 16, 2025 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
• Mar 5, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Mar 5, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 5 disclosure filings across 3 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $2,315,375 in lobbying spend. A filing names 10 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Yassamin Ansari, the sponsor, reported $234,033 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Fervo Energy Company — $2,220,000 on 4 filings
• Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals, Inc. — $95,375 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 21, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.