S. 4605 — Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to require applicants for or holders of geothermal leases to reimburse the United States for all reasonable costs of processing lease applications, operations plans, drilling permits, utilization plans, site licenses, and related approvals, as well as inspecting and monitoring geophysical exploration, well drilling and abandonment, and facility construction, operation, and reclamation, from the date of enactment through September 30, 2032. Reimbursed amounts are credited as discretionary offsetting collections available only through appropriations acts for those same activities.

This section requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report within 5 years of enactment to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and to post it publicly on the Department’s website, assessing the effects of the section 2 amendments on the Bureau of Land Management’s geothermal program and providing recommendations for reauthorizing and updating section 6(j) of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. The Secretary must solicit input from the geothermal industry and other stakeholders when preparing the report.