This bill directs the Department of the Interior to update the "Gold Book," a longstanding guidance document originally focused on oil and gas operations on federal lands, to also cover geothermal energy development. Within one year of enactment, the Secretary of the Interior must identify standard procedures and guidelines for efficient and environmentally responsible geothermal leasing and permitting that aren't already covered in the current 2007 edition of the Gold Book. Within 270 days after that, an updated version must be published, incorporating rules for exploration, permitting, legal compliance, construction, and drilling and production operations, and the document must be renamed to reflect its expanded geothermal focus. The Secretary is required to consult with other federal agencies, Bureau of Land Management field offices, and outside stakeholders like industry developers before publishing. This effort primarily affects geothermal energy companies seeking to operate on federal lands, as well as BLM field offices that oversee permitting, and the law requires the guidance to be reviewed and potentially updated at least every five years going forward.
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