HEATS Act

This legislation amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to significantly streamline the permitting process for certain geothermal energy development. It waives the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for geothermal exploration and production activities conducted on non-Federal surface estates. This waiver applies if the United States holds less than 50 percent ownership of the subsurface geothermal estate and the operator submits a valid State permit for the activities. Crucially, activities carried out under this provision are not considered a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), thereby exempting them from its environmental review requirements. Furthermore, these activities are not subject to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and are only considered an undertaking under the National Historic Preservation Act if no relevant State law exists. The bill maintains federal royalty collection and accountability, but explicitly excludes Indian lands from these new provisions.