HR-10275-119
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Sponsored by Pablo Hernández (D-PR)
What it does
This bill would amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to require the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Department of Energy and Puerto Rico officials and universities, to conduct geothermal resource assessments for Puerto Rico, including mapping, groundwater vulnerability studies (especially in karst terrain), and seismic hazard assessments related to enhanced geothermal systems. It would require reports to Congress within one year and every two years afterward until the assessment is complete.
Who benefits
Puerto Rico residents and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, who could benefit from better data supporting future geothermal energy development; geothermal energy developers and investors seeking siting data; universities and research institutions in Puerto Rico that would participate in the assessments; USGS and DOE scientists conducting the work.
Who is hurt
No group is meaningfully harmed by the assessment itself, though federal taxpayers would bear the modest cost of conducting and reporting the studies; landowners in areas identified as having high geothermal potential could face future development pressure or land-use scrutiny once assessments are complete, though this bill does not itself authorize drilling or construction.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that Puerto Rico's fragile, hurricane-prone electrical grid needs diversified, resilient power sources, and that the island's volcanic geology may hold significant untapped geothermal potential that has never been systematically studied. They contend that basic scientific assessment, including groundwater and seismic risk data, is a low-cost, low-risk first step that private investors and local officials need before any development can responsibly proceed.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that this is another federal study mandate that consumes agency resources without any guarantee it leads to actual energy investment or grid improvement for Puerto Rico. They contend that Puerto Rico already suffers from years of unresolved energy infrastructure problems, and that funding might be better directed toward proven solutions like grid hardening or solar deployment rather than exploratory geothermal research with uncertain payoff.