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![handle is hein.congrecreports/crptxagpw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: AUT-ENTICATED
US. GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
GP
118TH CONGRESS REPORT
2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 118-722
HARNESSING ENERGY AT THERMAL SOURCES ACT
NOVEMBER 1, 2024.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State
of the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. WESTERMAN, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
REPORT
together with
DISSENTING VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 7409]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 7409) to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to
waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for certain ac-
tivities, to exempt certain activities from the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 7409 is to amend the Geothermal Steam Act
of 1970 to waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for
certain activities, to exempt certain activities from the require-
ments of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for
other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 7409 would expedite the development of geothermal energy
on non-federal lands that involve federal minerals. Currently, geo-
thermal operators on non-federal land producing any amount of
federal resources must abide by all federal laws and permitting
processes, including the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), even if the share of federal minerals is minuscule. H.R.
7409 would address this issue by clarifying that geothermal explo-
ration or production wells on non-federal lands are not subject to
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