S. 4975, Environmental Deregulation / Geothermal Permitting Carve-out. Quorum's AI analysis reads it as a net cost — and names who bears it.
S. 4975 · Net cost
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.
The analysis names geothermal energy developers and operators — and 2 more groups — among the beneficiaries.
The cost
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.
The analysis put a high warning level on this bill. Transparency scores 72%, and the analysis found no provisions unrelated to the bill's subject.
Who is behind it
Filed by John Hoeven. Cosponsored by Mike Lee and Steve Daines.