This Act adds a cost-recovery rule to the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. From enactment until September 30, 2032, the Secretary of the Interior may require applicants or holders of geothermal leases to reimburse the United States for reasonable administrative and other costs. Reimbursable costs include processing applications and approvals (for example, operations plans, drilling permits, site licenses, and construction permits) and inspecting or monitoring geophysical exploration, drilling and well abandonment, and construction, operation, termination, and reclamation of geothermal sites and facilities. The Secretary must consider existing cooperative cost-share agreements and may reduce reimbursement if full payment would cause economic hardship or if a smaller amount would promote greater use of geothermal resources. Collected amounts are credited to the Department of the Interior accounts as offsetting collections and are available only as provided in advance in appropriations acts for the listed processing and inspection activities. The Act also requires the Secretary to produce a public report within five years assessing how the change affected the Bureau of Land Management geothermal program and to include recommendations on reauthorization and other updates, after consulting industry and other stakeholders.
If you apply for or hold a geothermal lease, you may be required to pay reimbursements for permit processing, inspections, and monitoring during the covered period. The Secretary can reduce charges for economic hardship or to encourage geothermal use. The exact fees or amounts are not in the Act.
The Act allows the Department of the Interior to collect reimbursements and credit them to its accounts as discretionary offsetting collections. The Act does not set specific fee levels or total amounts. Collected funds are available only if appropriations acts provide for their use.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.