S. 282: Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-02 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-02 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act

Plain summary

Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to extend through FY2022 the authorization for deposit and use of lease revenues under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Such funds shall be available to the Department of the Interior for FY2017 and afterwards to implement both the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Interior shall establish priority areas on covered land (i.e., public land administered by Interior and not excluded under law from the development of geothermal, solar, or wind energy) for geothermal, solar, and wind energy projects. Variance areas shall also be considered for the development of renewable energy projects under this bill, consistent with the principles of multiple use (as defined under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976). The bill defines "variance area" as covered land that is neither an exclusion area (not suitable for development of renewable energy projects) nor a priority area. Interior shall establish a program to improve federal permit coordination with respect to renewable energy projects carried out on covered land. The bill establishes the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to make funds available to federal, state, and tribal agencies for distribution in regions in which renewable energy projects are located on federal land for: (1) restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitat and corridors for affected species and water resources in areas affected by wind, geothermal, or solar energy development; and (2) preserving and improving recreational access to federal land and water in an affected region.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV] · 7 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Martin Heinrich (D-NM), James E. Risch (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s282.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s282 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115