Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Small County PILT Parity Act

This bill would adjust how the federal government distributes payments to small counties that contain federal lands, aiming to give them fairer compensation for hosting national forests, parks, and other public property that generates tax-free revenue. Counties with smaller populations or less developed federal land often receive smaller payments despite their reliance on federal property, so this legislation would work to level the playing field. The changes would help rural and small county governments better fund local services like schools and roads that serve both residents and visitors to federal lands.

Alaska Native Landless Equity Act

Alaska Native Landless Equity Act This bill allows five Alaska Native communities in Southeast Alaska to form urban corporations and receive land entitlements. Specifically, the bill allows the Alaska Native residents of each of the Alaska Native villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell, Alaska, to organize as Alaska Native urban corporations and to receive certain settlement land. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to convey specified land to each urban corporation. Further, Interior must convey the subsurface estate for that land to the regional corporation for Southeast Alaska. The land conveyed to each urban corporation must include any U.S. interest in all roads, trails, log transfer facilities, leases, and appurtenances on or related to the land conveyed to the urban corporation. The bill also allows each urban corporation to establish a settlement trust to (1) promote the health, education, and welfare of the trust beneficiaries; and (2) preserve the Alaska Native heritage and culture of their communities.

Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act

The bill would require companies that manage the nation's electrical grid to offer a simpler, cheaper option for delivering electricity without requiring customers to purchase additional services or capacity guarantees. This change would make it easier for smaller power producers and renewable energy companies to get their electricity to consumers at lower costs. The measure affects electric utilities, grid operators, and energy producers across the country.

A bill to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act.

The federal government would provide additional money to restore the San Joaquin River in California, which has been damaged by water diversions and agricultural use over many decades. The funding would support efforts to improve water flow, rebuild fish populations, and restore wetlands and natural habitats along the river, benefiting both the environment and local communities that depend on the river's water and ecosystem.

Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act

This bill would authorize the construction and operation of a water conveyance system to transport water from Crystal Reservoir to communities and agricultural areas that need it. The project would affect water users, farmers, and municipalities in the region by potentially providing them with more reliable access to water supplies. The bill has been referred to congressional committees that oversee public lands and natural resources for further review.

Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Expansion Feasibility Study Act

This bill would authorize a study to examine whether expanding the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System in South Dakota is feasible and practical. The study would help determine if the system can be enlarged to serve more communities and agricultural areas in the region, and would likely inform future decisions about funding and construction. This affects residents and farmers in the affected areas who depend on reliable water supplies.

A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of upgrades that serve large-load customers, and for other purposes.

This bill would require electric utilities to charge large industrial and commercial customers for the full cost of any infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them, rather than spreading those costs across all customers. The change would affect how utility companies recover expenses for things like new power lines or equipment installed specifically to handle a big factory or data center's electricity demands. Large businesses would pay more directly for the grid improvements they require, while other utility customers might see lower costs since they wouldn't subsidize those upgrades.

CLOSE THE GAP Act

The bill would make it faster and easier for broadband companies to get permission to build internet infrastructure like cables and towers on federal land by simplifying the approval process. This would help expand high-speed internet access to rural and underserved areas while reducing the time and costs companies face when dealing with federal agencies. The changes would affect broadband providers, rural communities seeking better internet service, and federal land management agencies.

A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for the payment of bonus payments of certain coal leases issued under that Act.

The government would require companies that received coal leases under federal law to make additional bonus payments (upfront fees) for those leases. This affects coal mining companies operating on federal lands and would increase the money the government collects from these mining operations.

Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act This bill establishes a geothermal ombudsman and task force to oversee geothermal project permitting and authorizations on federal land. The Department of the Interior must appoint a geothermal ombudsman from within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The ombudsman must act as a liaison among different parts of BLM, provide dispute resolution services between BLM and geothermal project applicants, and facilitate permit processing in different BLM field offices regarding geothermal projects on federal land. The ombudsman must also lead the Geothermal Permitting Task Force established by this bill. The task force must support the ombudsman’s duties. Through the task force, the ombudsman may reassign employees from other Interior bureaus or offices to assist in the completion of geothermal authorizations. The ombudsman may pay a retention allowance to reassigned employees.

License to Drill Act

License to Drill Act This bill extends through FY2037 the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) authority to collect oil and gas permit processing fees. For each new permit application, BLM collects a fee that is transferred to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund. (Under current law, the fees are authorized through FY2026.)

HEATS Act

Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act or the HEATS Act This bill exempts certain geothermal activities on state and private lands (except Indian lands) from drilling permit requirements as well as environmental and historic preservation review requirements. First, the bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from requiring an operator to obtain a drilling permit under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 for any geothermal exploration and production activity conducted on a nonfederal surface estate (i.e., the part of the estate that is above ground) if (1) the United States holds an ownership interest of less than 50% of the subsurface geothermal estate to be accessed by the proposed action, and (2) the operator submits to Interior a state permit to conduct the geothermal exploration and production activity on the nonfederal surface estate. Next, the bill states that such geothermal exploration and production activity is not considered a major federal action under National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Thus, such activity does not trigger NEPA's environmental review requirements. In addition, the bill exempts such activity from the consultation requirements under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It also exempts the activity from review under the National Historic Preservation Act unless the state in which the activity occurs does not have a state law that addresses the preservation of historic properties.

Dalles Watershed Development Act

The Dalles Watershed Development Act This bill provides for the conveyance of approximately 150 acres of National Forest System land located in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon from the Forest Service to the City of The Dalles, Oregon. If the city requests Interior to convey the land within a year of this bill's enactment, then the Forest Service must convey the land to the city as soon as practicable. The exact acreage and legal description of the National Forest System land to be conveyed must be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Forest Service. The conveyance must be (1) subject to valid existing rights; (2) made without consideration (i.e., made without the transfer of value, such as money); (3) made by a quitclaim deed; and (4) subject to such additional terms and conditions as the Forest Service determines to be appropriate to protect the interests of the United States. As a condition of the conveyance, the city must pay the costs associated with the conveyance, including the cost of a survey.

Caja del Rio Protection Act

The bill would protect a large area of land in New Mexico called Caja del Rio by creating a special management area and national conservation area, which means the land would be managed for conservation purposes rather than developed for other uses. This would affect outdoor enthusiasts, local communities, and conservation groups by preserving the landscape for activities like hiking and wildlife habitat while potentially limiting mining, drilling, and other extractive industries in the region.

CLEAN Act

Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act or the CLEAN Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to increase the frequency of lease sales for developing and utilizing geothermal energy on federal land. Specifically, Interior must hold lease sales at least once a year (rather than two years) in states with pending nominations of federal land to be leased for geothermal energy development. In conducting such lease sales, Interior must offer all of the pending nominated parcels eligible for geothermal development and utilization under the resource management plan in effect for the state. If a lease sale is canceled or delayed, Interior must conduct a replacement sale during the same year. Finally, the bill establishes deadlines for Interior to respond to applications for geothermal drilling permits.

Plug Offshore Wells Act

This bill would require oil and gas companies to permanently seal and abandon offshore wells that are no longer in use, preventing them from leaking oil or gas into the ocean. The measure aims to protect marine environments and reduce environmental hazards by ensuring that old drilling operations in federal waters are properly decommissioned rather than left inactive indefinitely.

Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act

The bill would create a new federal position called a geothermal ombudsman to help streamline the process of developing geothermal energy projects on public lands and speed up government reviews. This would help companies and developers navigate the permitting system more efficiently while also giving the public a dedicated point of contact to raise concerns about geothermal projects. The ombudsman would work to reduce delays and make it easier to develop this renewable energy source across the country.

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026 This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to give the Department of the Interior the authority to collect certain fees from applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases through September 30, 2032. Specifically, Interior may direct those applicants or leaseholders to reimburse the United States for costs from (1) processing applications for geothermal leases on federal land, such as applications for geothermal drilling permits; and (2) inspecting and monitoring geothermal exploration and development activities, including reclamation activities. Interior may reduce the amount of the fee if it determines that (1) the full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant, or (2) a less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources. Interior may use those fees only to the extent that they are provided in advance in appropriations acts for (1) processing applications for geothermal leases, and (2) inspecting and monitoring related exploration and development activities. Within five years of the bill's enactment, Interior must submit to Congress a report that includes an assessment of how the fees affect Interior's geothermal leasing program and any recommendations for updates to the fees and the program.

Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act

This bill likely aims to balance economic development with environmental protection in Douglas County by managing how public lands are used for activities like mining, logging, or recreation while preserving natural resources. The specific changes would depend on the bill's details, but it probably affects local businesses, property owners, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation groups in the county. The bill is currently under review by the Senate committee responsible for public lands and natural resources policy.

Critical Mineral Dominance Act

Critical Mineral Dominance Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to address mineral supply chain vulnerabilities, including by accelerating and expanding mineral production on federal land (i.e., National Forest System land, public lands, and any land that may be leased for the exploration, development, or production of hardrock minerals). Interior must (1) identify priority mining projects on federal lands that can be immediately approved, and (2) take all necessary and appropriate steps to expedite those projects. Interior must also identify active, inactive, or proposed mining projects on federal land that have the potential to (1) increase production of hardrock minerals or their byproducts, (2) expand existing operations to include such byproducts, or (3) produce hardrock minerals from mine tailings or coal byproducts. Further, Interior must identify certain federal land with potential for hardrock mining. Interior must prioritize identifying land where a mining project (1) can most quickly be fully permitted and operational, and (2) would have the greatest potential effect on the robustness of the domestic mineral supply chain. Interior must (1) suspend, revise, or rescind agency actions that place undue burdens on mining projects; (2) recommend changes to current law necessary to expand U.S. production of hardrock minerals; and (3) review state and local laws that impede development of domestic mining and mineral exploration projects. Interior must also report on the dollar value and overall economic impact of the United States' reliance on imports of certain mineral commodities. Finally, Interior must prioritize efforts to accelerate geologic mapping.