STEAM Act

House Bill

H.R. 1077

119th Congress

STEAM Act

Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.

Introduced:Mar 5, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Susie Lee

D - NV

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Energy

Summary

The STEAM Act speeds up approval for geothermal energy projects by allowing companies to skip lengthy environmental reviews when drilling wells in areas that have already been studied or drilled in the past five years. This bill treats geothermal drilling similarly to oil and gas drilling, enabling faster development of renewable energy that harnesses heat from underground to generate electricity and heating.

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.

Introduced3/5/2026

StatusOrdered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

STEAM Act

The STEAM Act speeds up approval for geothermal energy projects by allowing companies to skip lengthy environmental reviews when drilling wells in areas that have already been studied or drilled in the past five years. This bill treats geothermal drilling simi

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

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The STEAM Act speeds up approval for geothermal energy projects by allowing companies to skip lengthy environmental reviews when drilling wells in areas that have already been studied or drilled in the past five years. This bill treats geothermal drilling similarly to oil and gas drilling, enabling faster development of renewable energy that harnesses heat from underground to generate electricity and heating.

Bill Number: 1077
Introduced: 3/5/2026
Status: Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
Policy Area: Energy

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: STEAM Act
Bill Number: 1077
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
Introduced: 3/5/2026
Summary: The STEAM Act speeds up approval for geothermal energy projects by allowing companies to skip lengthy environmental reviews when drilling wells in areas that have already been studied or drilled in the past five years. This bill treats geothermal drilling similarly to oil and gas drilling, enabling

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

The STEAM Act speeds up approval for geothermal energy projects by allowing companies to skip lengthy environmental reviews when drilling wells in areas that have already been studied or drilled in the past five years. This bill treats geothermal drilling similarly to oil and gas drilling, enabling faster development of renewable energy that harnesses heat from underground to generate electricity and heating.

Last updated: 3/7/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act or the STEAM ActThis bill expedites the environmental review of certain geothermal energy activities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill expands the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to include certain geothermal exploration or development activities in an existing categorical exclusion from NEPA for certain oil or gas activities. A categorical exclusion applies to a class of actions that do not require an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement under NEPA.The categorical exclusion established by the bill applies to drilling a geothermal well (1) in an area where drilling has occurred previously within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins; or (2) within a developed field for which an approved land use plan or environmental document prepared under NEPA determined drilling to be a reasonably foreseeable activity, so long as the plan or document was approved within the five years prior to the date when drilling begins.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Accelerates geothermal energy development by eliminating redundant environmental reviews for drilling in previously studied or active areas
Only applies to locations where drilling already occurred within the past five years or where environmental assessments have already approved such activity
Could help expand renewable energy production and reduce dependence on fossil fuels by making clean geothermal power easier to develop
Received bipartisan support in committee, advancing with unanimous consent to move forward in the legislative process

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily benefit geothermal energy companies and states with geothermal resources (like Nevada, California, and Utah) by reducing project timelines and costs. Everyday Americans could see expanded access to clean, renewable energy sources, potentially lowering energy costs and creating jobs in the geothermal industry. Environmental groups may have concerns about reduced oversight, though the streamlining only applies to areas already evaluated for drilling activity.