Opinion: Cutting red tape for a geothermal boom
The United States is in the middle of a national energy emergency. It's going to take an all-of-the-above approach to get out of it, and Utah is poised to lead the way in the West.
Our state has vast, untapped power beneath our feet including geothermal energy. Harnessing it will help us achieve energy security, create jobs and boost our economy. But to do so, we need to cut bureaucratic red tape. To highlight this need, I brought my colleagues on the House Committee on Natural Resources to southern Utah to tour a cutting-edge geothermal energy facility and hear from local and expert witnesses.
Geothermal energy is piquing interest in D.C. and across the country for its unique ability to generate a large amount of baseload power. Here's how it works: steam or hot water is extracted from beneath Earth's surface to power turbines that generate electricity. What sets geothermal apart from other renewable energy sources like wind and solar is its reliability. The reservoirs beneath the surface are consistent and readily available.
Utah is an ideal place to advance geothermal energy. It lies on the edge of the Basin and Range Province, a mountain range where the Earth's crust stretches, creates large faults and allows heat to rise to the Earth's surface. We're also home to the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy, a cutting-edge research and development facility, which is key to positioning Utah at the forefront of geothermal energy development. Southern Utah especially has an abundance of geothermal potential, particularly near small, rural towns.
Fervo Energy, just outside Milford, Utah, is developing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), like the one we toured today, that could potentially be a game changer for geothermal energy production. Similar to hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas, EGS uses advanced drilling equipment and the injection of fluids into the subsurface to access geothermal resources that are not naturally located in reservoirs with the characteristics sufficient for conventional hydrothermal energy production. Increased permeability allows fluid to circulate throughout the fractured rock and to transport heat to the surface. EGS has the potential to greatly expand geothermal energy's domestic footprint — enabling development in shallow depth, hot dry rock regions across the U.S.
However, bureaucratic red tape continues to stand in the way of a geothermal energy boom. A complex permitting process, particularly on federal lands, creates uncertainty and slows down projects. Permits are required for everything from exploration, land access and leasing, drilling, and production. Developers face years of delay and duplicative federal reviews. This is a major issue in the West, where a majority of our land is owned by the federal government.
During the hearing, we will hear from witnesses who will share their experiences with permitting these facilities on federal land. Their testimony will shine light on issues that must be addressed by Congress and the new administration.
I've already introduced three bills to address some of the issues facing geothermal energy producers. The FREE Act, to speed up our permitting process through permit-by-rule. The Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act, to expedite the approval process for geothermal drilling projects within 60 days. Finally, I'm co-leading the Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act to streamline geothermal permitting to mirror that of oil and gas wells.
By unleashing geothermal energy, we will create high-skilled jobs in engineering, construction, research and much more. Moreover, a robust geothermal industry can stimulate economic growth through local partnerships, infrastructure development and increased tax revenue, positioning Utah as a leader in renewable energy technology.
Utah has the potential to be a leader in renewable energy and be a key player in helping us secure U.S. energy independence. We're ready to tap into more geothermal resources here in the state. Cutting red tape and reforming our outdated permitting process is essential to making that happen.
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