Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026

This bill lets the Department of the Interior charge fees to people or companies that apply for or hold geothermal energy leases on federal land. These fees would cover the government's costs for processing lease applications, issuing drilling permits, and inspecting geothermal exploration and development activities, and they would be collected through September 30, 2032. The Interior Department can lower the fees if paying the full amount would cause financial hardship or if a reduced fee would help encourage more use of geothermal resources. The department must also send Congress a report within five years looking at how the fees are affecting the geothermal leasing program.

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