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Pennsylvania House clears Arvind Venkat’s geothermal bill
The bill was cleared 118-83 by the House and will now move to the state Senate for consideration.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Wed, 06, May 2026
- 04:12 EDT
- 36
Arvind Venkat / X (Arvind Venkat)
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed Indian-American Representative Arvind Venkat’s bill on geothermal energy on May 4.
The bipartisan bill which Venkat co-sponsored with Republican Rep. Craig Williams, House Bill 2076, would establish a framework for the development of geothermal energy.
The framework in this legislation includes several new developments for geothermal energy, including authorizing the state Department of Environmental Protection to regulate geothermal injection wells with a predictable and responsible permitting framework, establish subsurface ownership rights for geothermal resources, and allow for the repurposing of abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal energy development.
Rep. Venkat highlighted the significance of the bill and said in a statement, “This legislation will enable us to make bold investments into Pennsylvania’s geothermal resources that we have not been able to use before,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny.”
He added, “We have been a national leader in energy development, and this legislation would enable us to move forward in the world of clean energy production and create jobs, while also reducing energy costs for consumers.”
ALSO READ: Pennsylvania court rules Arvind Venkat’s rival ineligible in race
Before the Bill was put to vote, Venkat appealed to his peers for support, asking for “an affirmative vote.”
In his floor speech, he noted, “I think we're all in agreement that we need to bring more energy sources online here in Pennsylvania and geothermal is a clean baseload energy source that we can now access.”
Venkat, in his address, noted that the bill would define property rights related to geothermal energy, set up a responsible and predictable regulatory framework and provide a process for repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells.
Spotlighting the widespread support received by his bill, he said, “It is rare in our very heated debates on energy that we see legislation that has widespread stakeholder support, in fact unanimous stakeholder support, but that is the case with House Bill 2076.
He continued, “The Manufacturers Association, the PA Chamber, the Building Trades and the Environmental Community all are in favor of this legislation.”
The bill was cleared 118-83 by the House and will now move to the state Senate for consideration.
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