Reps. Kim, Duarte introduce legislation boosting U.S. clean energy production

On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and John Duarte (R-CA) introduced legislation that will streamline geothermal energy infrastructure development and production.

The Harnessing Energy at Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act would expedite geothermal energy production by clarifying that geothermal operators do not need a federal drilling permit for wells that are on state and private lands where the subsurface geothermal estate is less than 50 percent federal. Operators would still be subject to state permitting regulations, the Congress members said.

“Energy security is national security. Deploying U.S. energy innovation promotes U.S. energy independence, expands our energy portfolio, lowers costs for Americans, reduces emissions, and secures supply chains,” Kim said. “The HEATS Act helps us achieve these goals and is a commonsense way to accelerate renewable geothermal energy production and deployment which is a win for our economy, national security, and environment.”

The legislators said they hope the bill will expedite geothermal energy infrastructure development and production by eliminating the paperwork and red tape operators have to obtain to get a federal drilling permit.

“Additionally, with energy expenses skyrocketing, many Valley residents have been confronted with the choice between adequately heating and ventilating their homes and other vital needs. By increasing production, this bill has the potential to decrease energy costs for families across California,” Duarte said.

Advocates said the bill would level the playing field for geothermal projects by extending existing categorical exclusions and supporting the industry, while reducing emissions.

“These reforms are badly needed to unlock investment in these promising technologies to get steel in the ground,” Rich Powell, CEO of ClearPath Action, said.