In order to reduce the seven to ten year timeline it takes for a geothermal energy project to go from the planning stages to electricity transmission, the federal government is implementing emergency permitting procedures to speedup the review of geothermal energy projects “critical for U.S. national security and energy dominance.”

The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the new initiative on May 30, 2025, saying “by streamlining environmental reviews, the department aims to accelerate geothermal projects that address urgent national security and energy needs while maintaining environmental stewardship.”

Under the new process the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages and regulates geothermal development on federal lands, is to complete environmental assessments in just 14 days, a reduction in the time it takes to complete such assessments from a year or more, with full environmental impact statements that usually taking up to two years, are to now be finalized in 28 days, the DOI says.

The BLM says the permitting and regulatory requirements are necessary to address potential impacts to land use, water quality and usage, as well as ensuring projects comply with environmental and safety standards, balances geothermal development with other land uses and manages royalties from operations.

Therefore, geothermal project development can be subject to numerous permits, authorizations, and other regulatory requirements in the U.S. at different project phases and levels of government, according to the BLM.

Among the first projects to benefit from the accelerated permitting process are three proposed geothermal projects located in Nevada and operated by Ormat Nevada, Inc., DOI says. Those projects are:

• The Diamond Flat Geothermal Project, near Fallon, Nev., at which Ormat plans to drill test wells and conduct geothermal resource confirmation activities on federally leased land to determine whether the geothermal reservoir is commercially viable.
  
  
• The McGinness Hills Geothermal Optimization Project located in Lander County, Nev., seeks to upgrade and expand three existing geothermal power plants by adding new wells, advanced heat exchangers, cooling fans, and a 15 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic field that seeks to increase efficiency and boost output beyond the current 193 MW currently produced.
  
  
• The Pinto Geothermal Project, located near Denio, Nev., where Ormat is conducting test drilling and exploration activities to evaluate the potential for geothermal energy on leased public lands.

The DOI says it seeks to accelerate those proposed projects because they are the kind of reliable and strategically important energy development that supports both the national defense and domestic energy resilience. Once the BLM completes its environmental assessments within a 14-day timeframe, it will determine whether Ormat’s proposed projects can move forward.

“Geothermal energy is a reliable energy source that can power critical infrastructure for national security and help advance energy independence,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “By cutting red tape” on those projects the DOI is “fast-tracking reliable energy projects while strengthening national security and supporting American workers.”