Puerto Rico Energy Opportunity and Geothermal Assessment Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10275 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10275

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to require the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct certain geothermal assessments for the Commonwealth 
                            of Puerto Rico.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 3, 2026

  Mr. Hernandez (for himself and Mr. Begich) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to require the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct certain geothermal assessments for the Commonwealth 
                            of Puerto Rico.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Puerto Rico Energy Opportunity and 
Geothermal Assessment Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. GEOTHERMAL ASSESSMENTS FOR COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO.

    Section 2501 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (30 U.S.C. 1028) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico and'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Puerto Rico.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out the update required 
        under subsection (c), the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
        through the Director of the United States Geological Survey, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Energy, and in coordination 
        with relevant officials of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and 
        institutions of higher education, shall conduct geothermal 
        assessments, including enhanced geothermal systems assessments, 
        for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            ``(2) Requirements.--The geothermal assessments conducted 
        under paragraph (1) shall include--
                    ``(A) the production of high-resolution maps and 
                supporting geospatial data consistent with the 
                requirements of subsection (c)(1)(D);
                    ``(B) assessments of groundwater vulnerability 
                associated with enhanced geothermal systems exploration 
                and development, with particular attention to karst 
                terrain and other highly transmissive aquifer systems; 
                and
                    ``(C) assessments of seismic hazards and induced 
                seismicity risks associated with enhanced geothermal 
                systems exploration and development.
            ``(3) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of this subsection and biennially thereafter until 
        the date of the completion of the assessment required under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
        the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall 
        submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate a report regarding the geothermal 
        assessments required under paragraph (1), including--
                    ``(A) the status of each activity carried out and 
                product developed pursuant to the assessments;
                    ``(B) a description of the coordination carried out 
                pursuant to the assessments;
                    ``(C) preliminary results of the assessments, as 
                available;
                    ``(D) a description of obstacles to the completion 
                of the assessments; and
                    ``(E) the planned next steps of the Secretary in 
                conducting the assessments.''.
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