Oversight Field Hearing | Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee

The House Committee on Natural Resources GOP held an oversight field hearing on May 13, 2025, focused on geothermal energy development on federal lands. The hearing featured testimony from industry leaders, state officials, and researchers discussing the potential of geothermal energy as a reliable, clean baseload power source and the challenges posed by current federal leasing and permitting processes. Witnesses highlighted the need for legislative reforms to streamline permitting timelines, allow concurrent NEPA reviews, and increase annual geothermal lease sales to accelerate project development. Specific projects such as Fervo Energy's Cape Station and the Utah FORGE research initiative were discussed as examples of public-private partnerships advancing geothermal technology. The committee emphasized bipartisan efforts to enact bills like the GEO Act and Clean Act to reduce regulatory delays, improve interagency coordination, and address royalty structures, all aimed at unlocking geothermal's full potential to meet growing energy demands and support rural economies. Questions from members focused on permitting efficiency, environmental protections, economic impacts, and grid infrastructure needs. The hearing underscored the importance of federal policy changes to facilitate faster deployment of geothermal projects on federal lands.