S. 4383, the Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act, received a congressional hearing on July 15, 2026.
S. 4383 — Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Re…
What it does
This bill creates a new Geothermal Ombudsman position within the Bureau of Land Management and establishes a Geothermal Permitting Task Force to streamline the federal permitting process for geothermal energy projects on public lands. The Ombudsman will mediate disputes between BLM offices and applicants, monitor permit timelines, develop best practices, and coordinate personnel across BLM offices to accelerate geothermal project approvals, with authority to offer retention bonuses (up to 25% of salary) to retain specialized staff.
Quorum's transparency scan gave Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act a moderate transparency flag.
What happens next
S. 4383 received a congressional hearing. Next step: committee markup.
Who is behind it
Filed by Catherine Cortez Masto. Cosponsored by James Risch.