HR 7422 United States House · 118th Congress

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2024

This bill allows the federal government to require geothermal energy companies to reimburse costs for processing their lease applications and inspections. Specifically, it lets the Secretary of the Interior charge applicants or leaseholders for administrative expenses related to permits, drilling, facility construction, and environmental monitoring. The government must consider if a company already has a cost-sharing agreement before imposing these fees. This directly affects geothermal developers seeking permits or operating under existing leases on federal land.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics: Public Lands

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2024

Committee Review

Sep 2024

House Passage

Sep 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Feb 20, 2024 Last action Sep 25, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 4 edits · Sep 24, 2024

MODERATE

The engrossed version adds a sunset date (September 30, 2031) limiting the cost-recovery authority, introduces flexibility for the Secretary to reduce reimbursement amounts based on economic hardship or resource promotion goals, specifies how collected funds must be used, and requires a five-year report to Congress assessing the program's impact and recommending reauthorization.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by adding a sunset date of September 30, 2031, making the cost-recovery authority temporary rather than permanent. A reporting requirement was also added to trigger a congressional review before any reauthorization decision.

SCOPE

A sunset provision was added limiting the cost-recovery authority to the period from enactment through September 30, 2031. The original version had no expiration date.

ELIGIBILITY

New paragraph (3) allows the Secretary to reduce the reimbursement amount if full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant or if less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources.

FISCAL

New paragraph (4) requires that reimbursed amounts be credited as discretionary offsetting collections and made available only for processing geothermal lease applications and inspecting/monitoring geothermal activities, subject to appropriations Acts.

ENFORCEMENT

A new Section 3 requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report to Congress within 5 years of enactment assessing how the cost-recovery amendments affected BLM's geothermal program, with recommendations for reauthorization and updates. The report must be made publicly available on the DOI website.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Sep 25, 2024

Committee

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

upper

Sep 24, 2024

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5726-5727)

lower

Sep 24, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5726-5727)

lower

Sep 24, 2024

Introduced

Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Sep 12, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 118-670.

lower

Apr 16, 2024

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Apr 16, 2024

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged

lower

Mar 6, 2024

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Hearings Held

lower

Mar 4, 2024

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

lower

Feb 20, 2024

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

lower

Feb 20, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors