Geothermal boom gets federal environmental guardrails removed
S. 4975 — HEATS Act · Filed by John Hoeven (R-ND) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 14, 2026 · Hearing held
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill amends the Geothermal Steam Act to waive the federal drilling permit requirement for geothermal exploration and production on non-federal land when the U.S. holds less than 50% subsurface ownership, provided operators obtain a state permit instead. It also exempts these activities from federal environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act consultation, and (in most cases) historic preservation review, though royalty payments and federal inspections for accountability remain in place.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a blanket exemption from federal environmental review and permitting for a specific energy sector. While framed as a streamlining measure, it functionally transfers regulatory authority from federal agencies (with broad environmental mandates) to state agencies (with narrower, often industry-friendly mandates) and eliminates consultation requirements for endangered species and historic preservation.
What the text implies
- State-level permitting may lack the technical capacity or environmental rigor of federal review, particularly for subsurface activities affecting groundwater and geothermal reservoirs that cross state boundaries.
- Exemption from Endangered Species Act consultation removes a critical check on projects affecting threatened species in geothermal zones (e.g., in the Great Basin, Yellowstone region).
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
geothermal energy developers and operators; energy companies with geothermal portfolios; oil and gas firms diversifying into geothermal