FREEDOM Act

The FREEDOM Act aims to speed up energy infrastructure development by establishing strict federal deadlines for reviewing applications for oil, gas, and mineral projects on public lands. It requires agencies to publish project schedules and issue final decisions within specific timeframes, with automatic legal consequences if those deadlines are missed. The bill also creates a new Permitting Performance Fund to pay for independent contractors who can help complete stalled environmental reviews when agencies fail to meet their timelines. Additionally, the legislation introduces specific measures for geothermal energy, including a new ombudsman to resolve disputes, updated permitting guidelines, and revised royalty rates for electricity generated from geothermal sources.