Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011
Latest action · Feb 7, 2012 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 315.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJun 7, 2011
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011 - Amends competitive lease provisions of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to allow an area of qualified federal land (land that is otherwise available for leasing under that Act) that adjoins other land for which a qualified lessee holds a legal right to develop geothermal resources to be available for a noncompetitive lease to such lessee at fair market value per acre if: (1) the area of qualified federal land consists of not less than one acre and not more than 640 acres and is not already leased or nominated to be leased, (2) the qualified lessee has not previously received a noncompetitive lease in connection with the valid discovery for which data has been submitted, and (3) sufficient technical data prepared by a qualified geothermal professional has been submitted by the qualified lessee to the applicable federal land management agency that would lead individuals who are experienced in the subject matter to believe that there is a valid discovery of geothermal resources on the land and that such thermal feature extends into the adjoining areas.
Defines "fair market value per acre" as a dollar amount per acre that shall be: (1) equal to the market value per acre (taking in account the determination regarding a valid discovery on the adjoining land) as determined by the Secretary of the Interior within 180 days after the Secretary receives an application for a lease, and (2) not less than the greater of 4 times the median amount paid per acre for all land leased under such Act during the preceding year or $50.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) publish a notice of any request for such a lease; (2) determine fair market value in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary; (3) provide to a qualified lessee and publish, with an opportunity for public comment for a period of 30 days, any proposed determination of the fair market value of the area the qualified lessee seeks to lease; and (4) provide the lessee and any adversely affected party an opportunity to appeal the final determination of fair market value in an administrative proceeding before the applicable federal land management agency. Prohibits the Secretary from accepting any nomination of land for leasing after publication of a notice of request to lease such land unless the request has been denied or withdrawn.
Considers a lease issued under this Act to be a lease awarded in a competitive lease sale for purposes of determining the amount of payment that is given in advance of annual rental payments for such lease.
Cosponsors 4
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 7, 2011 to Aug 1, 2011; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-ID | James E. Risch | Original | Jun 7, 2011 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Jun 7, 2011 |
| R-ID | Mike Crapo | Original | Jun 7, 2011 |
| D-AK | Mark Begich | Aug 1, 2011 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Referred Jun 7, 2011Markup Dec 15, 2011Reported Feb 7, 2012 |
| Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee | Hearings Aug 3, 2011 |
Actions 7
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 7, 2012Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with amendments. With written report No. 112-146.
- Feb 7, 2012Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 315.
- Dec 15, 2011Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- Aug 3, 2011Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-226.
- Jun 7, 2011Introduced in Senate
- Jun 7, 2011Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3543)
- Jun 7, 2011Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3543-3544)
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Jan 25, 2012S. 1149, Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 112-226 | PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS LEGISLATION74 pages | Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Aug 3, 2011 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2776 | Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011 | Related bill | Aug 4, 2011 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to expand geothermal production, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 7, 2012Reported to Senate
- Jun 7, 2011Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
