What does Preamble of HEATS Act do?

This bill amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. It proposes to waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for certain activities. The bill also seeks to exempt certain activities from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

What does SHORT TITLE. of HEATS Act do?

This bill is formally titled Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act of 2026

What does NO FEDERAL PERMIT REQUIRED FOR GEOTHERMAL ACTIVITIES ON CERTAIN of HEATS Act do?

This section amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to establish circumstances under which a federal permit is not required for geothermal activities. Specifically, the Secretary is not required to issue a federal drilling permit for geothermal exploration and production activities on a non-Federal surface estate if the United States holds less than 50% of the subsurface geothermal estate and the operator submits a State permit. Geothermal activities conducted under this section are not considered a major federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and require no additional federal action. Activities may commence 30 days after submission of the State permit to the Secretary. These activities are exempt from Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Consideration under the National Historic Preservation Act is limited to situations where the state lacks laws addressing historic property preservation. Royalties due to the United States from geothermal production remain unaffected. The Secretary retains the authority to conduct onsite reviews and inspections for royalty accountability. This section does not apply to actions on Indian lands or resources managed in trust for Indian Tribes.

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HEATS Act

Last updated: 4/28/2026 · Introduced: 9/26/2025

Author: Young Kim (R-CA)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill modifies the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to allow geothermal exploration and production activities on non-Federal land to proceed without a federal drilling permit if the United States holds less than 50% of the subsurface rights and a state permit is obtained.
The bill exempts certain geothermal activities from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, while maintaining royalty obligations to the United States.
This legislation excludes actions on Indian lands or resources managed in trust for Indian Tribes from its provisions.

119th Congresspassed houseOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 1 more.

3 sections

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