H.R. 1994 — Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2025

This section defines terms used in the Act, including: (1) covered land, as federal land administered by the Secretary of the Interior that is not excluded from solar or wind energy development under a land use plan or other federal law; (2) federal land, as public lands and National Forest System lands described in 16 U.S.C. 1609(a) (i.e., federally owned forest, range, and related lands administered by the Forest Service); (3) Fund, as the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund established under section 5(c)(1); (4) renewable energy project, as a project on covered land using wind or solar energy to generate energy; and (5) Secretary, as the Secretary of the Interior.

This section requires owners of a "project"—defined as a system described in 43 CFR §2801.9(a)(4) (i.e., solar or wind energy development facilities)—that applied for a right-of-way under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1761) on or before December 19, 2016, to pay all associated rents and fees in effect before the Bureau of Land Management's December 19, 2016, rule on competitive processes, terms, and conditions for leasing public lands for such development (81 Fed. Reg. 92122), unless otherwise agreed. (Thus, these projects are grandfathered from any revised, potentially higher rents and fees under the 2016 rule.)

This section directs the disposition of revenues (i.e., bonus bids, rentals, fees, or other payments) collected from wind and solar projects on federal lands under rights-of-way, permits, leases, or other authorizations, effective January 1, 2026, as follows: (1) 25% to the state in which the revenue is derived; (2) 25% to counties in which the revenue is derived, allocated by the percentage of relevant land acreage; (3) 25% to the Secretary of the Interior (via the Bureau of Land Management) without further appropriation to implement the Act—including transfers to federal and state agencies to expedite renewable energy permitting on federal lands, prioritizing projects in revenue-generating states; and (4) 25% to the new Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund. This formula excludes revenues under specified laws (i.e., FLPMA §504(g) (43 U.S.C. 1764(g)) and the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund). This section requires state and county payments to be used consistent with §35 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191)—which directs mineral leasing revenues primarily to states (50%) and subdivisions for planning, public facilities, and services in impacted areas—and specifies that county payments supplement (rather than replace) payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) under 31 U.S.C. chapter 69. This section establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund—administered by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, with interest earnings—to provide grants to federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies for habitat restoration, wildlife corridors, water body protection, and enhanced recreational access (via easements from willing landowners) in regions affected by such projects; authorizes partnerships and annual congressional reports on revenues, expenditures, and balances; and states congressional intent that Fund uses supplement (not supplant) appropriations.