Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2026

North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2026 This bill allows North Dakota to exchange certain state land grant parcels (e.g., lands granted to North Dakota by Congress when it became a state) located wholly or partially within an Indian reservation for certain federal land of substantially equivalent value. North Dakota manages oil, gas, and agriculture leases on state land grant parcels to generate revenue for education and other public benefits. However, tribal reservations were created on state land grant parcels and reduced the amount of land available for revenue generation. Specifically, the bill allows the North Dakota Board of University and School Lands to exchange with the Department of the Interior state land grant parcels located wholly or partially within tribal reservations for certain public land in North Dakota administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Upon the request of a tribe, Interior must hold exchanged land within the tribe's reservation in trust on behalf of the tribe. Further, the bill provides for the continuation of active grazing operations on land exchanged under this bill.

Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2026

Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2026 This bill directs the Forest Service to issue a special use permit to maintain a flagpole bearing the American flag at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point in the Uinta National Forest, which is in Utah. The Forest Service must issue the special use permit for a 10-year period and renew the permit as required by the bill. The Forest Service may impose terms and conditions on a permit holder to ensure the proper care and maintenance of the flagpole. The bill prohibits the Forest Service from charging a land use fee for the special use permit. The bill also exempts such permit from environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. As background, Scoutmaster Robert Collins and his scout troop raised the American flag at the point in 2000 and lowered it before winter. The flag was raised annually until the Forest Service cited policy that requires a permit for the construction or placement of any structure, including flagpoles, on National Forest lands. The bill directs the Forest Service to issue a special use permit so the flag may continue to be raised seasonally each year.

A bill to designate the General George C. Marshall House in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

This bill would officially add General George C. Marshall's historic house in Virginia to the National Park System as an affiliated site, giving it federal recognition and protection similar to other historic landmarks. The designation would allow the site to receive support and resources from the National Park Service while preserving the home and its historical significance for future visitors. This affects history enthusiasts, educators, and local communities interested in preserving American military and diplomatic heritage.

A bill to redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the "Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center".

This bill renames the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center located in Casper, Wyoming, as the Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.

Mullica River Watershed Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2026

The federal government would study whether the Mullica River watershed in New Jersey should be officially protected as a wild and scenic river, which would preserve its natural character and restrict certain development activities in the area. This designation would affect landowners, local governments, and conservation groups in the region by potentially limiting industrial projects and dams while protecting the river's recreational and ecological value. The bill is currently being reviewed by Congress to determine whether this protection is warranted.

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026

The Department of the Interior would be allowed to recover costs it spends managing geothermal energy projects on federal lands by collecting fees from companies that develop and profit from geothermal resources. This change would shift some of the financial burden of overseeing these projects from taxpayers to the private companies actually using the geothermal steam and hot water to generate power.

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.

Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025

Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025 This bill waives a statutory core township selection requirement for the Cape Fox Corporation and allows Cape Fox to receive other lands to fulfill its remaining land entitlement. Cape Fox is an Alaska Native village corporation for the Alaska Native village of Saxman, Alaska. Specifically, the bill states that Cape Fox shall not be required to receive its previously selected land of approximately 185 acres located within the township in which the Alaska Native village of Saxman, Alaska, is located. Instead, the bill allows Cape Fox to receive land outside of Cape Fox's current exterior selection boundary upon written notice of the new selection to the Department of the Interior. In particular, if Cape Fox submits written notice of its selection of approximately 180 acres of surface land within the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to Interior within 90 days of the bill's enactment, then Interior must convey the federal land to Cape Fox. Upon conveyance of the surface estate of the federal land to Cape Fox, Interior must convey the subsurface estate of the federal land to Sealaska Corporation (the Alaska Native regional corporation representing southeastern Alaska). The bill reserves a public access easement on the federal land conveyed to Cape Fox and Sealaska.

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act This bill expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area and other land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities. Specifically, the bill requires the BLM to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities. Rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources. In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials. The bill also adds approximately 9,290 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.

Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act of 2026

The bill would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create new rules making it easier and faster for large industrial facilities and data centers to connect to the nation's electrical grid. This would affect companies that use significant amounts of electricity and want to build new operations or expand existing ones by streamlining the approval process for grid connections. The change aims to reduce delays and uncertainty for businesses planning major energy-intensive projects.

Washington’s Trail—1753 National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2026

The federal government would study whether Washington's Trail-1753 should become an official national historic trail, which would bring it under federal protection and potentially increase funding for preservation and public access. The Secretary of the Interior would lead this feasibility study to determine if the trail meets the standards for national historic trail designation. This would affect hikers, history enthusiasts, local communities, and tourism in the Washington area.

LNG Export Security Act

The bill would clarify what "public interest" means under federal natural gas regulations, giving the government a clearer standard for deciding whether to approve new natural gas pipelines and infrastructure projects. This affects energy companies building natural gas facilities, consumers who use natural gas, and communities where pipelines might be constructed, as the definition could influence which projects get approved or rejected.

Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authorization Act

The bill would authorize a new water system in Montana called the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority to provide water services to communities and agricultural areas in that region. This would allow the authority to operate and manage water distribution infrastructure for local residents and farmers who need reliable access to water. The proposal is currently under review by the Senate's energy and natural resources committee.

A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.

This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for hydropower projects that were issued a license before March 13, 2020. FERC is authorized, upon the request of the licensees, to extend the deadline for beginning construction on such projects an additional six years beyond the eight-year extension FERC is authorized to provide under current law. The extension must consist of no more than three consecutive two-year periods. The bill also provides that FERC may reinstate certain expired licenses for projects with construction deadlines extended under this bill, effective as of the date they expire.

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.

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.

Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act

The federal government would fund research and development projects to improve geothermal energy technology so it can work in more types of locations and conditions across the country. This would help companies and researchers figure out how to tap into Earth's heat more efficiently and affordably for electricity and heating. The effort would support scientists, engineers, and energy companies working to make geothermal power a more practical option for American communities.

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.

Geese House Site Conveyance Act

The bill would transfer certain parcels of land in Alaska to Native Alaskan corporations and communities as allowed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, a 1971 law that set aside land and money for Alaska Native groups. These land conveyances would affect Alaska Native communities, the corporations that represent them, and potentially impact land use and resource development in Alaska. The measure is currently being reviewed by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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.