Geothermal Royalty Reform Act

House Bill

H.R. 5638

119th Congress

Geothermal Royalty Reform Act

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

Introduced:Mar 5, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Mike Kennedy

R - UT

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Energy

Summary

The Geothermal Royalty Reform Act aims to update the fees that geothermal energy companies pay to the federal government when they extract heat from public lands to generate electricity. This bill would reform the royalty payment structure for geothermal energy development, potentially making it more competitive with other renewable energy sources and encouraging clean energy production on federal lands.

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

Introduced3/5/2026

StatusOrdered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Geothermal Royalty Reform Act

The Geothermal Royalty Reform Act aims to update the fees that geothermal energy companies pay to the federal government when they extract heat from public lands to generate electricity. This bill would reform the royalty payment structure for geothermal energ

Community Breakdown

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The Geothermal Royalty Reform Act aims to update the fees that geothermal energy companies pay to the federal government when they extract heat from public lands to generate electricity. This bill would reform the royalty payment structure for geothermal energy development, potentially making it more competitive with other renewable energy sources and encouraging clean energy production on federal lands.

Bill Number: 5638
Introduced: 3/5/2026
Status: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Policy Area: Energy

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Geothermal Royalty Reform Act
Bill Number: 5638
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Introduced: 3/5/2026
Summary: The Geothermal Royalty Reform Act aims to update the fees that geothermal energy companies pay to the federal government when they extract heat from public lands to generate electricity. This bill would reform the royalty payment structure for geothermal energy development, potentially making it mor

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

The Geothermal Royalty Reform Act aims to update the fees that geothermal energy companies pay to the federal government when they extract heat from public lands to generate electricity. This bill would reform the royalty payment structure for geothermal energy development, potentially making it more competitive with other renewable energy sources and encouraging clean energy production on federal lands.

Last updated: 3/7/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Reforms the royalty rates that geothermal energy companies pay when producing power from federal lands, potentially lowering costs for renewable energy development
Could accelerate geothermal energy projects by making them more economically viable compared to current fee structures
Aims to balance revenue collection for taxpayers with incentivizing clean energy development on public lands
Received bipartisan support in committee, passing unanimously with amendments in March 2026

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily affect geothermal energy companies, western states with significant geothermal resources (like Utah, Nevada, and California), and rural communities near potential development sites. If enacted, it could lead to more geothermal power plants being built on federal lands, creating jobs in renewable energy while generating electricity without carbon emissions. Taxpayers and local governments could see changes in revenue from federal land leases, depending on how royalty rates are adjusted.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Energy

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

5638, 119th Congress (2026). "Geothermal Royalty Reform Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-hr-5638

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