CLEAN Act
Latest Action
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
Official Summary
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.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The CLEAN Act (Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act) directs the Department of the Interior to increase the frequency of geothermal energy lease sales on federal lands. The bill requires lease sales to be held at least annually in states with pending nominations for geothermal development, rather than every two years as previously practiced. It mandates that all eligible nominated parcels under the current resource management plan be offered during these sales. If a lease sale is canceled or delayed, a replacement sale must occur within the same year. Additionally, the bill sets deadlines for the Department of the Interior to respond to geothermal drilling permit applications, aiming to streamline the permitting process.
The CLEAN Act aims to accelerate geothermal energy development on federal lands by increasing lease sale frequency and establishing permit response deadlines, potentially facilitating faster project initiation.
- Requires the Department of the Interior to hold geothermal lease sales at least once per year in states with pending nominations.
- Mandates offering all nominated parcels eligible under the state's resource management plan during lease sales.
- Establishes deadlines for the Department of the Interior to respond to geothermal drilling permit applications.
- If a lease sale is canceled or delayed, a replacement sale must be conducted within the same calendar year.
['Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management)', 'Geothermal energy developers and companies', 'States with federal lands nominated for geothermal development', 'Renewable energy sector and related industries']
['Increased administrative workload for the Department of the Interior due to more frequent lease sales and permit deadlines.', 'Potential challenges in meeting the new deadlines for permit responses, which may require additional resources or staffing.', 'The bill does not specify funding mechanisms to support the increased frequency of lease sales and permit processing.', 'Possible impacts on land management planning and environmental review processes due to accelerated leasing schedules.']
The bill is currently in process and has had hearings before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. It addresses federal land management policies related to renewable energy development, specifically geothermal energy, reflecting ongoing legislative interest in expanding clean energy sources on public lands.
High concern review — 3 hidden impact flags detected
GovScope reviewed 3 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential increase in geothermal energy projects on federal lands due to streamlined leasing and permitting processes.', 'Possible economic benefits to local communities from increased geothermal development activities.', 'Increased demand on Department of the Interior resources and staff to manage accelerated leasing and permitting schedules.', 'Potential shifts in land use priorities and environmental management due to more frequent leasing.']
The bill mandates increased frequency of lease sales and sets deadlines for permit responses without specifying funding or resource allocations, which may affect implementation effectiveness. Oversight should monitor whether the Department of the Interior can meet these new requirements without compromising environmental review standards or administrative quality. Transparency on lease sale outcomes and permit processing timelines will be important for public accountability.
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