US HB5576

Amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to exempt geothermal exploration projects and related activities from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review requirements when projects meet specific criteria, including casing diameter under 13⅜ inches, surface disturbance under 8 acres, and completion within 180 days

Requires the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to designate geothermal leasing priority areas on federal lands within 3 years of enactment, with mandatory reviews every 5 years to add or remove designations

Establishes that once a geothermal leasing priority area has been analyzed in a programmatic environmental impact statement, no additional NEPA analysis is required for lease sales in that area for 10 years unless substantial new circumstances arise

Requires lease holders to provide 30 days advance notice before beginning geothermal exploration drilling and restore project areas within 3 years unless the area is used for ongoing energy development

Acknowledges the Bureau of Land Management's April 2024 adoption of categorical exclusions for geothermal exploration from the Department of the Navy and U.S. Forest Service, intended to expedite review and approval of geothermal projects