NEWS: Geothermal bills are bridging the party divide.

A hot rocks package: The US House has passed the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act, a bipartisan bundle of bills aimed at speeding up the geothermal buildout. 

The details: The legislation would 1) offer streamlined environmental permitting for geothermal projects on public lands (which gas and oil companies already receive) and 2) require the DOI to process drilling permit applications within 60 days, among other measures. The House also passed a separate bill that would boost geothermal sales on federal land.

What’s next: It’s uncertain whether these bills will see the same support in the Senate. But the purple backing could signal success—especially with the urgent need for 24/7 clean power across the US grid. 

On the state level: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill that will encourage thermal energy network development and require IOUs to solicit proposals for geothermal projects.