Harnessing the heat far below Nevadans’ feet may become easier with the reintroduction of a bill that failed to make it through the last Congress.

Sponsored by U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, the Streamlining Thermal Energy Through Advanced Mechanisms (STEAM) Act aims to speed up lengthy permitting timelines for geothermal projects in areas that have already been studied. Reps. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, and Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

“Nevada’s clean energy economy is spurring innovation and lowering energy costs for residents across the Silver State,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “My commonsense, bipartisan legislation will cut red tape, create good-paying jobs, and let communities take advantage of Nevada’s untapped geothermal potential.”

Geothermal plants, where hot water is pumped from the ground and later injected back into the aquifer, have been touted as a water-neutral and sustainable way to generate energy. Though it’s considered by most to be a climate change solution, some are hopeful that the incoming Trump administration will support its development under an “all-of-the-above” approach to meeting the country’s energy demands.

Under the Biden administration, the Bureau of Land Management approved a so-called “categorical exclusion” in November for geothermal projects — another way to speed up permitting timelines for exploration.

“Nevada has incredible energy potential and geothermal energy is a key piece of that,” Lee said in a statement. “Yet, red tape has prevented us from fully unleashing its potential.”

Fight over ‘non-consumptive use’ may reach Nevada Legislature

In prepared statements, four geothermal industry leaders praised the introduction of the bill.

“The geothermal industry is thrilled that the new Congress is moving so quickly to pass legislation that will support the development, deployment, and innovation of technologies and applications from geothermal resources,” said Ben Serrurier, senior manager of government affairs and policy for Fervo.

Fervo’s Google-backed geothermal plant in Humboldt County entered into a power-purchase agreement with NV Energy, the utility based in Las Vegas, in November 2023.

Not everyone is thrilled about the prospect of tapping into Nevada’s already-strained groundwater resources.

A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature that convened this month criticizes geothermal energy for unintended water consequences.

Though the water use is currently considered “non-consumptive,” some environmentalists argue that the flow of groundwater is forever altered. If passed, the bill would require a review from the state’s top water regulator, the state engineer.

The bill’s sponsor is Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, D-Reno. It was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and is pending further review.

“Even though those waters are returned to the source, overwhelming scientific and on-the-ground evidence shows that water supplies, existing rights holders, and the natural world can all be harmed,” a summary of the bill prepared by the nonprofit Great Basin Water Network says.

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