FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2026
CONTACT: [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher’s bill, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now (CLEAN) Act, H.R. 1687, passed the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. The legislation now heads to the Senate.
Congressman Fulcher released the following statement after the vote.
“Geothermal is a clean, abundant, and dependable energy resource that can help meet America’s rapidly rising power demands,” said Congressman Fulcher. “However, the lack of consistent geothermal lease sales and the slow federal permitting process result in timelines longer than many other energy projects. The bipartisan CLEAN Act will address these barriers and unlock opportunities to explore and develop this renewable energy source. I’m grateful to see my bill pass the House and urge the Senate’s swift consideration of this commonsense measure.”
According to the Department of Energy, the United States leads the world in geothermal electricity-generating capacity—just over four gigawatts. That’s enough to power the equivalent of about three million U.S. homes.
Background
Idaho plays a leading role in geothermal energy production. The City of Boise is home to the nation’s first geothermal district heating system, established in 1892. The system supplies naturally heated water through over 20 miles of pipeline, heating more than six million square feet of building space, including the Idaho State Capitol—the only geothermally heated capitol building in the U.S.
To begin developing geothermal on federally controlled lands—where approximately 90 percent of viable geothermal resources are located—projects must first obtain a lease, making consistent lease sales crucial to the expansion of this energy source.
The CLEAN Act amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to:
- Require yearly lease sales for geothermal energy;
- Require the Secretary to hold replacement lease sales for any sales that are missed in a given calendar year.
About Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher is a fourth-generation Idahoan, grew up on a dairy farm in Meridian, Idaho. He was elected to Congress to represent Idaho's first congressional district in 2019 after serving in the Idaho State Senate for ten years. Visit https://fulcher.house.gov/ for more information or to find contact info.
