S.Amdt. 1462

SA 1462. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1407 submitted by Ms.

[[Page S1439]]

Murkowski and intended to be proposed to the bill S. 2657, to support
innovation in advanced geothermal research and development, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 172, between lines 7 and 8, insert the following:
(l) Inclusion of Enhanced Geothermal Systems.--
(1) Inclusion of geothermal energy as a covered project.--
Section 41001(6) of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C. 4370m(6)) is
amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting
``enhanced geothermal systems projects or a program of
projects,'' after ``manufacturing,'';
(ii) in clause (i)(III), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(iii) in clause (ii)(II), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; or''; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) is--

``(I) covered by a programmatic or State energy development
plan or environmental review developed for the primary
purpose of facilitating development of geothermal resources
and associated infrastructure in the United States; and
``(II) a project that supports development and deployment
of improved tools and methods for geothermal resource
identification and extraction, with the goal of achieving
material reductions in the cost of exploration with a
corresponding increase in the likelihood of drilling
success.''; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Treatment.--Section 553 of title 5, United States
Code, shall not apply to a majority vote described in
subparagraph (A) with respect to a project that facilitates
the domestic source expansion and extraction of resources
that directly benefit renewable energy, including enhanced
geothermal systems.''.
(2) Discretionary projects.--Section 41003 of the FAST Act
(42 U.S.C. 4370m-2) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(g) Discretionary Projects.--
``(1) In general.--At the request of a project sponsor, a
State, or a local or tribal government, the Executive
Director shall consider--
``(A) including on the Dashboard, or facilitating formal
coordination with agencies represented on the Council of, a
geothermal project in the United States that requires
authorization or environmental review by a Federal agency;
and
``(B) treating as a covered project, or facilitating formal
coordination with agencies represented on the Council of, an
advanced geothermal energy expansion or deployment project or
program of projects that requires authorization or
environmental review by a Federal agency.
``(2) Report.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the American Energy Innovation Act of 2020,
and annually thereafter for 10 years, the Executive Director,
in consultation with the Chair of the Council on
Environmental Quality, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of
the Interior, and the head of any other relevant agency (as
determined by the President), shall prepare a report that
compiles all existing relevant Federal permitting and review
information and resources for project applicants, agencies,
and other stakeholders with respect to projects for the
deployment of enhanced geothermal systems, including--
``(i) the appropriate points of interaction with Federal
agencies;
``(ii) clarification of the permitting responsibilities and
authorities among Federal, State, and local agencies;
``(iii) best practices and templates for permitting
enhanced geothermal systems projects across all public
authorities; and
``(iv) identification of gaps in the current Federal
regulatory framework for those projects.
``(B) Submission; publication.--The Executive Director
shall--
``(i) submit the report under subparagraph (A) to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives; and
``(ii) as soon as practicable, make the report publicly
available.''.
(3) Termination.--Section 40013 of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C.
4370m-12) is amended by striking ``7 years after the date of
enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``on the date on which
the final report is published pursuant to section
41003(g)(2)(B)(ii)''.
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