Cortez Masto co-sponsors bipartisan geothermal development bill

The Geothermal Energy Optimization Act would speed up adoption and development of geothermal energy, lower costs for Americans, and create more pathways to high-quality jobs.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), along with Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), James Risch, (R-Idaho), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) – all members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – introduced the Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act to accelerate the adoption of geothermal energy nationwide. Nevada is the second-largest producer of geothermal energy in the nation, and has one of the largest amount of untapped geothermal resources in the country.

“Nevada is primed to continue to grow our geothermal energy sector, which will play an essential role in our clean energy future,” said Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan legislation will make it easier for companies to explore and invest in geothermal projects that power our communities while lowering energy costs for Nevada families.”

Next-generation geothermal technologies will create new, good-paying jobs, add to Nevada’s capacity to generate clean energy, and complement wind and solar energy sources. Geothermal heat can be used for industrial processes, mineral production, agricultural applications, energy storage, and hydrogen production. It is especially suitable for energy-intensive direct air capture (DAC) facilities and data centers.

The GEO Act would make it easier for geothermal projects to get off the ground in Nevada and nationwide by putting them on an equal footing with oil and gas projects on public land and directing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to develop a streamlined process for geothermal permits. The bill also creates a Geothermal Ombudsman and Strike Team to provide additional resources for field offices. Additionally, it sets new geothermal lease targets on federal lands and requires the BLM and USFS to hold auctions more frequently than every two years.

A one-page bill summary is HERE. The text of the bill is HERE. 

Senator Cortez Masto has consistently worked to support Nevada’s battery supply chain and clean energy industry, which has created nearly 42,000 good-paying clean energy jobs across Nevada. Through her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has been a proponent of renewable and sustainable energy, passing bipartisan legislation to promote Nevada’s mining and emerging battery industries. She has also set up a sustainable critical mineral supply chain and led efforts in the Senate to create good-paying solar energy jobs. Cortez Masto recently announced that the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has been designated as a Tech Hub for innovation and job creation.

“In 2005, the U.S. was in an energy crisis and rightly granted oil and gas a categorical exclusion to produce more energy to meet demand. We may be approaching a new crisis if we don’t start producing more clean power to meet energy demand, and this bill helps achieve parity for 24/7, renewable geothermal,” said Rich Powell, CEO of ClearPath Action. “The GEO Act will streamline the permitting process, expand development leasing, and provide much needed resources to get more geothermal power onto the grid.”

“Next-generation geothermal energy is available today to provide 24/7 clean and reliable electricity all over the West, creating jobs in rural communities and enhancing American energy security. We commend the leadership of Senators Heinrich, Risch, Lee, and Cortez-Masto in developing the GEO Act to make it easier to deploy this critical technology at the speed we need to support a thriving economy and stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis,” said Sarah Jewett, VP of Strategy, Fervo Energy.

“We are grateful for the leadership of Senators Heinrich, Risch, Lee and Cortez Masto in introducing this critical legislation,” said Jeanine Vany, Eavor Co-founder and Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs. “The Geothermal Energy Optimization Act of 2024 streamlines the permitting process and will advance geothermal energy development on federal lands. As we look towards the energy systems of the future, Eavor’s technology provides carbon-free, sustainable energy development that aids in the decarbonization of heating and electricity. We also create high-paying jobs and provide grid hardening capabilities – all while using minimal water and land. This legislation will help advance geothermal projects like Eavor’s to become a reality more quickly across the United States.”

“It is great to see bipartisan federal legislation in the US Senate to help develop clean geothermal resources on federal lands,” said Tom Solomon, Co-Coordinator, 350 New Mexico. “The Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act of 2024 would streamline the initial permitting process for an exploration well, cutting it from the current 7-10 years, hopefully down to a year or less. This a great companion to the  New Mexico  geothermal resource bill, HB 91, that Governor Lujan Grisham just signed. Federal lands comprise over 30% of New Mexico acreage, so the federal GEO act would really help. I hope it passes.”