The bipartisan bill cuts government red tape by giving geothermal projects the same flexibility to explore and develop on previously disturbed or studied public lands that the oil and gas industry has had for nearly two decades. That means clean energy projects will be on a more level playing field while creating jobs, cutting emissions, and reducing foreign energy dependence.
Nevada is already the second-largest producer of geothermal in the country, but government red tape is getting in the way of truly maximizing Nevada’s — and the nation’s — abundant resources with next-generation geothermal technology.
“Nevada has incredible energy potential and geothermal energy is a key piece of that,” said Lee. “Yet, red tape has prevented us from fully unleashing its potential. This bipartisan bill will cut red tape, help strengthen U.S. energy independence, and lower costs.”
“Utah’s second district has some of the most abundant geothermal resources in the world,” said Maloy. “Unfortunately, bureaucratic red tape and inefficiency makes developing geothermal resources risky. The STEAM Act will clear the way for Utah to produce more energy and create more jobs.”
Nevada is now home to the country’s first enhanced geothermal plant, “Project Red,” the result of a partnership between Google and Fervo Energy — which is actively producing carbon-free energy to power Google Cloud operations in Las Vegas as well as data centers across the state. The U.S. Department of Energy has found that enhanced geothermal systems such as Project Red could extend geothermal energy production nationwide and affordably power the equivalent of more than 65 million U.S. homes.
“Nevada’s clean energy economy is spurring innovation and lowering energy costs for residents across the Silver State,” said Cortez Masto. “My commonsense, bipartisan legislation will cut red tape, create good-paying jobs, and let communities take advantage of Nevada’s untapped geothermal potential.”
“Unleashing the full potential of clean, reliable, baseload geothermal will help to bolster our energy independence and power our communities. The STEAM Act takes a step forward to remove unnecessary hurdles for geothermal exploration and cuts through the red tape slowing down deployment of geothermal technologies,” said Murkowski.
The STEAM Act is endorsed by stakeholders including ClearPath Action, Eavor, Fervo Energy, Geothermal Rising, and Institute for Progress (IFP).
