"Geothermal energy will play a key role in powering America's energy future," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in a statement.
Much of the country’s untapped geothermal capacity is located on federally-managed lands, the agency said.
“Facilitating their leasing and development is crucial to supplying the secure, clean energy American homes and businesses need,” he said.
The Bush administration has been sharply criticized by wildlife groups for opening up public lands for oil and natural gas drilling.
But
