,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfaj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #bj1 #bjbf ,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,mc,cormick1 ,mr4 ,curtis1 and ,mr4 ,coons7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to promote the development and use of geothermal resources in the ,pacific1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,pacific ,promotion of ,workable ,energy ,resources ,act or the ,pacific ,,power ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of ,congress ,the term appropriate committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee ,energy and ,commerce1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,direct use ,the term direct use has the meaning given the term in section #faf;,a of the ,energy ,independence and ,security ,act of #bjjg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agaie;a7b774 7#c7 ,geothermal partners ,the term geothermal partners means the ,united ,states allies and partners selected pursuant to section #f4 7#d7 ,next-generation geothermal ,the term next-generation geothermal means a geothermal power production technology that has the potential to greatly expand the scale and geographical range of geothermal power production1 including-- 7,a7 enhanced geothermal systems1 as defined in section #fab of the ,energy ,independence and ,security ,act of #bjjg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agaia72 7,b7 closed-loop geothermal systems1 meaning systems that use one or more wells drilled into hot rock with fluid circulating through a closed-loop system to bring heat to the surface2 7,c7 geothermal systems which harness heat from supercritical temperatures1 meaning at or above #cge degrees2 and 7,d7 other innovative geothermal power technologies4 7#e7 ,relevant ,united ,states agencies ,the term relevant ,united ,states agencies includes the ,department of ,energy1 the ,department of the ,interior1 the ,department of ,commerce1 the ,department of the ,treasury1 the ,united ,states ,international ,development ,finance ,corporation1 the ,export-,import ,bank of the ,united ,states1 the ,united ,states ,trade and ,development ,agency1 and the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation4 7#f7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,state4 #c4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the ,november #bjbe ,national ,security ,strategy prioritizes the ,united ,states having the world's most robust1 productive1 and innovative energy sector--one capable not just of fueling ,american economic growth but of being one of ,america's leading export industries in its own right4 7#b7 ,the ,november #bjbe ,national ,security ,strategy further states that expanding our net energy exports will also deepen relationships with allies while curtailing the influence of adversaries1 protect our ability to defend our shores1 and--when and where necessary--enables us to project power4 7#c7 ,numerous allies and partners in the ,indo-,pacific experience energy security vulnerabilities that have implications for their autonomy1 ability to resist coercion1 defense requirements1 and democratic freedoms1 which could implicate ,united ,states national security decisions1 including military deployments and the potential use of force1 to come to their assistance and otherwise promote regional stability4 7#d7 ,taiwan relies on imports for more than #ie percent of its energy needs and is increasingly vulnerable to blockade from ,people's ,liberation ,army forces1 with direct implications for ,united ,states military operations and national security4 7#e7 ,according to the ,u4,s4-,china ,economic and ,security ,review ,commission1 the ,people's ,republic of ,china is a leading producer of key grid components1 and its growing footprint in global energy systems raises numerous national security concerns for the ,united ,states and other countries4 7#f7 ,the ,people's ,republic of ,china is responsible for almost half of final geothermal energy consumption globally by harnessing low-temperature resources for space heating4 7#g7 ,the ,people's ,republic of ,china is developing and deploying geothermal technology domestically1 which may reach an installed geothermal power generation capacity of #bjj megawatts in #bjcj and more than #a1jjj megawatts in #bjej4 7#h7 ,key allies and partners in the ,indo-,pacific have both energy security vulnerabilities and geothermal resources that could help reduce those vulnerabilities4 7#i7 ,according to the ,international ,energy ,agency1 geothermal energy is a dispatchable source of power that has the potential to meet up to #ae percent of global electricity demand growth to #bjej1 making it a strong candidate to help meet the growing energy demand from artificial intelligence and other sectors4 7#aj7 ,despite this potential1 policy support and investment in geothermal energy is significantly lacking compared to other energy sources globally4 7#aa7 ,according to the ,department of ,energy1 the ,united ,states leads the world in geothermal electricity generation4 7#ab7 ,according to the ,international ,energy ,agency1 ,indonesia1 ,trkiye1 the ,philippines1 and ,new ,zealand are among the top sources of geothermal electricity generation in addition to the ,united ,states4 7#ac7 ,according to the ,international ,energy ,agency1 geothermal energy already provides more than #aj percent of total electricity supply in ,kenya1 ,iceland1 ,el ,salvador1 ,new ,zealand1 ,nicaragua1 and ,costa ,rica4 7#ad7 ,the ,united ,states has the necessary resources1 personnel1 commercial capabilities1 and technical expertise to assist allies and partners in developing geothermal upon request4 #d4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,indo-,pacific is critical to ,united ,states national security and economic interests1 particularly given the rise of the ,people's ,republic of ,china as a competitor1 and has some of the world's highest geothermal potential2 7#b7 achieving ,united ,states foreign and national security policy objectives1 including deterring conflict and reducing vulnerability to coercion1 requires further strengthening relationships with key regional allies and partners2 7#c7 the ,united ,states should expand its engagement with key allies and partners on geothermal1 including through commercial partnerships and technical assistance to support the development of their geothermal capabilities to reduce reliance on the energy exports of adversaries and to develop markets for ,united ,states companies2 and 7#d7 the ,united ,states should prioritize the pursuit of bilateral memoranda of understanding or other appropriate agreements on geothermal energy with key allies and partners1 where doing so furthers ,united ,states foreign policy and national security interests4 #e4 ,geothermal diplomacy 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,energy1 shall work both bilaterally and multilaterally to advance geothermal energy in support of ,united ,states interests1 including to develop-- 7#a7 goals to increase geothermal deployment1 including for electricity and direct use applications2 7#b7 forums for collective learning and research2 7#c7 risk-sharing and financial tools for geothermal exploration and development2 7#d7 potential regulatory and power market reforms that support geothermal power production1 direct use applications1 and grid interconnection2 and 7#e7 technical1 environmental1 safety1 and community engagement standards and best practices1 including-- 7,a7 early and consistent community engagement1 including the free1 prior1 and informed consent of ,indigenous ,peoples and other communities2 7,b7 revenue sharing to create local economic benefits2 7,c7 reservoir management2 7,d7 mitigation of seismic risk through real-time monitoring1 operational guardrails1 and engagement with impacted communities2 7,e7 mitigation of impacts to water resources2 and 7,f7 standardized1 transparent1 and secure mechanisms for sharing geological and project-related data4 7b7 ,indo-,pacific engagement ,the ,secretary shall prioritize engaging with allies and partners in the ,indo-,pacific on opportunities to collaborate on geothermal energy and as potential geothermal partners to be selected pursuant to section #f1 including-- 7#a7 ,taiwan2 7#b7 the ,philippines2 7#c7 ,japan2 7#d7 ,australia2 7#e7 ,indonesia2 7#f7 ,india2 7#g7 ,new ,zealand2 and 7#h7 ,papua ,new ,guinea4 7c7 ,multilateral mechanisms ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,energy1 shall use existing multilateral mechanisms to advance cooperation on geothermal energy1 including-- 7#a7 the ,quadrilateral ,dialogue1 or ,quad1 comprising the ,united ,states1 ,australia1 ,india1 and ,japan2 7#b7 the ,united ,states-,japan-,philippines trilateral dialogue2 7#c7 the ,united ,states-,japan-,republic of ,korea trilateral dialogue2 7#d7 the ,pacific ,community1 the principal scientific and technical organization in the ,pacific region2 7#e7 the ,international ,energy ,agency2 and 7#f7 the ,group of ,seven1 comprising the ,united ,states1 ,france1 the ,united ,kingdom1 ,germany1 ,japan1 ,italy1 and ,canada4 #f4 ,establishment of international geothermal program and country selection 7a7 ,assessment ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with relevant ,united ,states agencies1 shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that-- 7#a7 assesses global geothermal resources1 including mapping the areas of highest potential for geothermal development based on factors1 such as-- 7,a7 existing geothermal generation2 7,b7 subsurface data2 7,c7 proximity of geothermal resources to existing or potential energy infrastructure2 7,d7 regulatory and economic conditions1 including financial incentives for geothermal2 7,e7 current and projected energy mix and demand2 7,f7 workforce2 7,g7 supply chains1 including the distribution of assets relative to projected demand2 and 7,h7 energy reliability conditions2 7#b7 assesses countries1 regions1 and other locations in which geothermal development or expansion is most beneficial to ,united ,states national security and economic interests1 including in support of ,united ,states ,indo-,pacific strategy2 and 7#c7 explains the strategy for addressing the challenges to geothermal energy development or expansion in the countries1 regions1 and other locations most beneficial to ,united ,states national security and economic interests4 7b7 ,consultation ,in preparing the report required in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary and relevant agencies shall consult with-- 7#a7 ,department of ,energy ,national ,laboratories 7as defined in section #b of the ,energy ,policy ,act of #bjje 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aehja772 7#b7 institutions of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a7772 7#c7 nonpartisan and nonprofit organizations2 7#d7 the ,international ,energy ,agency2 7#e7 the advisory group established pursuant to subsection 7g72 and 7#f7 the appropriate committees of ,congress4 7c7 ,establishment ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,energy1 shall establish the ,international ,geothermal ,program 7the ,program7 for international collaboration on geothermal exploration and development to carry out section #e and to pursue bilateral and multilateral partnerships as described in subsection 7d7 to further ,united ,states foreign policy and national security interests4 7d7 ,program ,the ,program established pursuant to subsection 7c7 shall include public-private partnerships for the exploration and development of geothermal resources and next-generation geothermal systems1 including-- 7#a7 to support large-scale geothermal deployment1 including for next-generation geothermal technologies and direct use applications2 7#b7 to conduct research of next-generation geothermal technologies1 including through coordination with existing international research initiatives2 7#c7 to conduct geothermal resource exploration and characterization2 7#d7 to support the integration of geothermal energy into energy system planning and regulations2 7#e7 to identify opportunity zones where geothermal could meet industrial1 heating and cooling1 agricultural1 and electricity needs2 7#f7 to support the workforce and supply chains necessary for geothermal deployment2 7#g7 to support community engagement and education2 7#h7 to assist in the development and implementation of risk-sharing mechanisms and other financial tools for the cost of geothermal exploration and development2 7#i7 to assist in the development of predictable siting and permitting processes for partners selected pursuant to subsection 7e72 7#aj7 to create financial incentives for investment in geothermal energy2 and 7#aa7 to identify investment and export opportunities for ,united ,states companies4 7e7 ,selection of geothermal partners ,concurrent with the establishment of the ,program pursuant to subsection 7c71 the ,secretary1 in coordination with relevant ,united ,states agencies1 and in consultation with the appropriate congressional committees1 shall select at least five geothermal partners that-- 7#a7 include-- 7,a7 not fewer than three countries in the ,indo-,pacific2 7,b7 not fewer than one country that currently does not produce or consume geothermal energy at commercial scale2 and 7,c7 not fewer than one country that demonstrates significant potential to expand existing capacity for geothermal energy generation1 such as through recent success in adding more geothermal energy to its grid and through the inclusion of geothermal in utility resource plans2 and 7#b7 are informed by the report required under subsection 7a74 7f7 ,agreements ,the ,secretary shall pursue memoranda of understanding or other appropriate agreements with countries selected pursuant to subsection 7e7 and that are willing to work with the ,united ,states to implement the ,program4 7g7 ,engagement with the private sector and nonprofits ,the ,secretary1 in coordination with relevant agencies1 shall establish an advisory mechanism to engage ,united ,states geothermal developers1 equipment manufacturers1 financial institutions1 industry associations1 and nonprofit organizations with geothermal expertise in the implementation of the ,program1 including to-- 7#a7 identify export opportunities for ,united ,states geothermal technology and services in geothermal partner countries2 7#b7 advise on technical standards1 data1 policy1 supply chain development1 and workforce needs2 and 7#c7 facilitate connections between ,united ,states companies and organizations and geothermal investment opportunities4 #g4 ,implementation of the ,international ,geothermal ,program 7a7 ,strategy ,not later than #ahj days after the establishment of the ,program and selection of geothermal partners pursuant to section #f1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with relevant ,united ,states agencies1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the ,united ,states strategy for advancing geothermal energy with each of the geothermal partners4 7b7 ,elements ,the strategy submitted pursuant to subsection 7a7 shall include the estimated personnel and assistance resources required on an annual basis for successful implementation of such strategy1 and the identification of opportunities for-- 7#a7 supporting regional partnerships on geothermal energy2 7#b7 strengthening the resilience of geothermal supply chains1 including-- 7,a7 equipment and services related to geothermal resource exploration1 characterization1 and production2 and 7,b7 through partnerships with domestic and allied manufacturers2 7#c7 leveraging existing and developing new multilateral financing tools to support geothermal energy2 7#d7 conducting geothermal-specific feasibility studies and other support by the ,united ,states ,trade and ,development ,agency2 and 7#e7 the ,united ,states ,export-,import ,bank1 the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation1 and the ,united ,states ,international ,development ,finance ,corporation to provide financial support to geothermal partners that meet the eligibility requirements of the agencies4 7c7 ,implementation ,the implementation of the ,program established in section #f shall be led by the ,under ,secretary of ,state for ,economic ,growth1 ,energy1 and the ,environment and coordinated with the leadership of the ,office of ,international ,affairs and the ,geothermal ,technologies ,office4 7d7 ,annual report ,the ,secretary1 in coordination with relevant ,united ,states agencies1 shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes-- 7#a7 a summary of ,united ,states activities and engagement with each geothermal partner1 including the status of negotiations to establish memoranda of understanding or other agreements pursuant to section #f7;f72 7#b7 any changes to the strategy required by subsection 7a7 for each geothermal partner2 7#c7 the number of personnel assigned to implementation of the ,program1 by operating unit2 and 7#d7 assistance provided to implement the ,program to date by operating unit1 amount1 account1 and purpose4 7e7 ,technical and financial assistance ,the ,secretary is authorized to work with relevant ,united ,states agencies to promote and coordinate the development and underwriting of grants1 loans1 loan guarantees1 and other technical and financial assistance to geothermal partners and ,united ,states companies that work with geothermal partners through the ,program established in section #f4 7f7 ,coordination ,in preparing the strategy required under subsection 7a7 and the annual report required under subsection 7d71 and implementing the ,program established in section #f1 the ,under ,secretary of ,state for ,economic ,growth1 ,energy1 and the ,environment shall convene relevant agencies and the advisory group established in section #f7;g7 and brief the appropriate committees of ,congress not less than twice per year4 7g7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary such sums as necessary to carry out section #f for fiscal years #bjbg to #bjca4 7h7 ,transfer authority ,funds authorized to be appropriated to the ,department of ,state pursuant to subsection 7g7 are authorized to be transferred to the relevant ,united ,states agencies if the ,secretary determines and reports to the appropriate committees of ,congress that to do so is necessary to carry out this ,act1 and concurrently notifies such committees detailing the intended use of such funds1 not later than #ae days in advance of the transfer of such funds4