This bill creates a new Geothermal Ombudsman position and Geothermal Permitting Task Force within the Bureau of Land Management to streamline the process for approving geothermal energy projects on federal lands. The Secretary of the Interior must appoint the Ombudsman within 60 days of the bill's enactment, and this person will serve as a liaison between different BLM offices, help resolve disputes with applicants, monitor permit timelines, and develop best practices for geothermal permitting. The Task Force, headed by the Ombudsman, can coordinate personnel from different Department offices to work on geothermal authorizations and may offer retention bonuses of up to 25 percent of salary to specialized employees working on these projects. The bill affects companies and developers seeking to build geothermal projects on public lands, as well as BLM staff involved in the permitting process. The Ombudsman must submit annual reports to Congress on the Task Force's effectiveness and the status of geothermal permit processing.
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