Today, Representatives Jake Auchincloss and Mark Amodei introduced the Hot Rock Act, which promotes the research, testing, and development of superhot rock geothermal energy... This legislation supports the acceleration of superhot rock geothermal development by: creating milestone-based research grant programs, authorizing a frontier field research observatory, reforming geothermal permitting to make geothermal deployment easier, and a workforce cross-training program to train workers for the geothermal industry.
Advance superhot rock geothermal energy by introducing and supporting the Hot Rock Act, including research grants, a frontier field research observatory, permitting reform, and workforce cross-training.
Occurrences
back in February, Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D, MA-04) and Mark Amodei (R, NV-02) introduced the Hot Rock Act, which promotes the research, testing, and development of superhot rock geothermal energy
Evidence
The congressman's office says Rep. Auchincloss and Rep. Amodei introduced the Hot Rock Act in February and that it would back milestone-based research grants, a frontier field research observatory, geothermal permitting reform, and workforce cross-training.
The introduced bill text is titled the Hot Rock Act and sets up grant programs for high-temperature geothermal research and testing, a field research site, and research, development, and demonstration activities for commercial hot dry rock projects.
Congress.gov lists H.R.7568 with Rep. Jake Auchincloss as sponsor, introduced on 2026-02-13, referred to House Science, Natural Resources, and Education and Workforce, and still at the introduced stage.
The House office page states that Representatives Jake Auchincloss and Mark Amodei introduced the Hot Rock Act in February and describes it as supporting superhot rock geothermal through milestone-based grant programs, a frontier field research observatory, geothermal permitting reform, and workforce cross-training.
The bill draft is titled the Hot Rock Act, names Auchincloss as the introducing member, and creates Energy Department research grant programs, a frontier observatory and testing site for hot dry rock geothermal technology, and a milestone-based development grant program.
Later sections of the bill establish a workforce cross-training program for geothermal-industry work and a federal authorization section providing technical assistance to BLM and Forest Service offices plus a categorical exclusion for exploration and confirmation of hot dry rock geothermal energy.
Assessments
The promise was framed as advancing superhot rock geothermal energy by introducing and supporting the Hot Rock Act with specified provisions, not necessarily securing enactment. Official congressional records show Auchincloss sponsored H.R.7568 in the 119th Congress on 2026-02-13, and the bill text includes the promised research grants, frontier field observatory/testing site, permitting/federal authorization reforms, and workforce cross-training. The bill remains only introduced, but that satisfies the stated introduce/support commitment in his current federal House term.
The promise was framed as advancing superhot rock geothermal by introducing and supporting the Hot Rock Act, not by securing final enactment. Auchincloss co-introduced the Hot Rock Act in February 2026, and the bill text contains the promised core elements: milestone-based research grants, a frontier field research observatory, geothermal permitting reform, and workforce cross-training. Because he completed the pledged legislative action during his current House term, the promise is best scored as delivered in the same term.