Geothermal Permitting Ombudsman

Summary#

This bill creates a Geothermal Ombudsman and a Geothermal Permitting Task Force inside the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The main change is to set up a BLM official and team whose job is to speed up, coordinate, and resolve problems in permitting geothermal projects on public land. The bill aims to make permitting more consistent and faster for geothermal energy development.

• New offices: BLM must appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman within 60 days and create a Geothermal Permitting Task Force led by that person.
• Ombudsman duties: Act as a liaison inside BLM, provide dispute resolution between offices and applicants, monitor permit timelines, develop permitting best practices, and coordinate with the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council.
• Staffing powers: The Ombudsman can assign personnel from other Department of the Interior bureaus to help finish geothermal authorizations in BLM field, district, or State offices.
• Pay incentives: The Ombudsman may pay retention allowances (extra pay) up to 25% of basic pay to assigned employees, subject to available funds.
• Reporting: The Ombudsman must send an annual report to relevant congressional committees describing Task Force activities and assessing permit processing over the past year.
• Limits: Cross-office assignments must not change which BLM office has legal authority over a permit.

What it means for you#

• Geothermal project applicants (companies, developers):

  • You may get a clearer point of contact inside BLM (the Ombudsman) for questions and disputes.
  • There could be faster or more consistent permit processing if the Task Force reduces local bottlenecks.
  • The bill does not set strict deadlines for approvals, but it requires monitoring and reporting on timelines.

• BLM employees and other Department of the Interior staff:

  • Some employees may be temporarily assigned to help process geothermal permits outside their usual office.
  • Assigned staff could get a retention allowance (extra pay) of up to 25% of basic pay, if funds are provided.
  • Assignments must be approved by the head of the employee’s home office and must not delay work at that home office.

• Taxpayers and federal budget managers:

  • The bill could increase administrative costs for BLM and the Interior Department through staffing, travel, and pay incentives.
  • The bill requires annual reporting to Congress about permit processing.

• State and local offices of BLM:

  • Local offices will remain the legal decision-makers for permits, but they may receive temporary help from staff assigned by the Ombudsman.
  • Offices must receive regular reports from assigned staff working on their permits.

• Congress:

  • Will receive an annual report assessing whether permit processing improved.

If you are not directly involved in geothermal development or BLM administration, this bill mainly changes how BLM manages internal permitting work and has little direct effect on your daily life.

Expenses#

The bill may increase administrative costs, but no estimate is available.

• No publicly available cost estimate was provided with the material supplied.
• The bill allows retention allowances up to 25% of basic pay for assigned employees, which could raise personnel costs if paid.
• Other likely costs include staffing time, travel for assigned personnel, overhead for the Task Force, and administrative costs to prepare annual reports.
• All pay and spending described are subject to the availability of appropriations (Congress must provide funds).

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to speed up and make more consistent the permitting process for geothermal projects on public land.
• Supporters may argue that having a single Ombudsman and a Task Force will improve coordination between BLM field offices, reduce disputes, and share expertise where needed.
• Creating best practices and monitoring timelines could make permit decisions more predictable for developers.
• The ability to assign staff across offices and offer retention allowances could help fill expertise gaps and keep experienced people working on geothermal permits.
• Annual reporting gives Congress information to judge whether processing is improving.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is that the bill does not include a fiscal estimate, so the total cost of retention allowances, travel, and added staffing is unclear.
• Assigning staff away from their home offices could slow other work if not managed carefully, even though the bill requires approval and a finding that it will not materially delay the home office.
• The bill allows retention pay up to 25% but does not set limits on how many employees could receive it, which could create significant personnel costs.
• The bill does not set concrete deadlines or measurable targets for permit processing, so it may not guarantee faster approvals.
• It is unclear how dispute resolution powers will work in practice or how the Ombudsman’s actions will be reviewed or appealed.