{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://ansari.house.gov/media/press-releases/passed-ansari-bill-to-develop-standards-for-geothermal-energy", "PASSED: Ansari Bill to Develop Standards for Geothermal Energy", "2026-06-03", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "AZ", "Yassamin Ansari", "A000381", "ansari.house.gov", "ansari", "https://ansari.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 This week, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Ranking Member of the Energy and Minerals Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee, saw her first bill pass the House of Representatives. The Geothermal Gold Book Development Act establishes clear, consistent procedures and guidelines for geothermal leasing, exploration, permitting, and development. The bill directs the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to create a \u201cGold Book\u201d for geothermal energy, mirroring gold books already in use in oil, wind, and solar sectors.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve spent my whole career working on climate policy; it\u2019s humbling to see my first passed bill as a freshman make it through the House with bipartisan support,\u201d said Ansari. \u201cHarnessing the Earth\u2019s internal heat through geothermal energy is a commonsense, promising source of renewable power. And my bill will ensure that the fastest-growing energy source in the United States can be safely regulated and reviewed by a nationwide, standardized system.\u201d\n\nWATCH Ansari speak about her legislation.\n\nThe bill covers a process for developing the Gold Book, including timing targets and deadlines, project guidelines and content, and other agencies or offices needed for consultation:\n\nWithin 1 year of enactment, BLM must develop standard procedures for efficient and environmentally responsible geothermal permitting.\n\nWithin 180 days after that, BLM must publish the Gold Book for use by both field offices and geothermal operators.\n\nThe Gold Book must cover the end-to-end lifecycle of geothermal projects, including:\n\nLand use planning and lease sales\n\nExploration and geophysical operations\n\nPermitting and approval of lease operations\n\nEnvironmental compliance\n\nConstruction and maintenance\n\nDrilling and production operations\n\nAppeals processes\n\nAvailable categorical exclusions at each stage\n\nDevelopment of the Gold Book will involve input from:\n\nRelevant federal agencies, including BLM field offices\n\nPotentially outside stakeholders, including developers\n\nThe Gold Book must be reviewed at least once every 5 years and revised as necessary to reflect new best practices or policy changes.\n\nWATCH last year\u2019s Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing on Ansari\u2019s legislation.\n\nFollow @RepYassAnsari on all social media platforms and visit Ansari.House.gov to learn more.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-04T06:38:12Z", "2026-06-04T06:39:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://ansari.house.gov/media/press-releases/passed-ansari-bill-to-develop-standards-for-geothermal-energy"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.981430919840932, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}