Democrats and Republicans on Wednesday agreed the process for permitting geothermal power projects needs to be quicker and more efficient to meet the nation’s clean energy goals. They just don’t see eye to eye on how best to do it.
Republicans on the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources blamed federal red tape for slowing development of geothermal energy projects.
They lobbied during a hearing in favor of four bills that propose to streamline in some way the review and permitting processes for exploratory and production wells. The list included H.R. 7370, from Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah).
The “Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act” would remove what Curtis has called unnecessary regulatory burdens that are holding up already approved geothermal projects.
