HEATS Act

This bill, known as the HEATS Act, aims to accelerate geothermal energy development by amending the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. It establishes conditions under which a Federal drilling permit is not required for geothermal exploration and production activities. This waiver applies to operations on non-Federal surface estates where the United States holds less than 50 percent ownership of the subsurface geothermal estate, provided the operator submits a valid State permit to the Secretary. Activities conducted under this waiver are significantly streamlined by being exempt from several federal environmental regulations. They are explicitly declared not a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), thereby avoiding its extensive review process. Furthermore, these activities are not subject to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and are only considered an undertaking under the National Historic Preservation Act if no state law addresses historic preservation. While federal royalties from geothermal production remain unaffected, these provisions explicitly exclude actions on Indian lands .