CLEAN Act
Key claim: The CLEAN Act requires the Department of the Interior to hold geothermal energy lease sales at least once a year for nominated federal parcels, offer all eligible nominated parcels, replace canceled sales in the same year, and meet deadlines for geothermal drilling-permit responses.
Abstract
(HR1687 · 119th Congress) 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. Latest action (2026-07-15): Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
[This finding represents 2 closely related documents issued 2026-07-15 (same source, same action). Related: congress:119-s-4960:introduced]
Why this matters
Geothermal development on federal land has historically been slowed by irregular lease-sale cadence and long drilling-permit timelines; the CLEAN Act would lock in annual sales, force replacement of canceled sales within the year, and impose response deadlines on BLM permit decisions. Practical effects would fall on permitting workload and project economics — accelerating access to leasable acreage while pressuring agency capacity — and the bill sits alongside other 2025–26 proposals (HEATS Act, geothermal ombudsman) targeting the same bottleneck.