en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Economic Affairs Committee of the Austrian National Council recently approved a motion proposed by the Green Party to promote the reform of geothermal laws, focusing on simplifying the relevant provisions of the Mineral Resources Act and the Water Resources Act involved in deep geothermal development. The motion, proposed by Member of Parliament Mag. Lukas Hammer, requires the federal government to draft a bill accordingly.

Regarding the geothermal legal reform, the proposal aims to modify the permitting and tolerance conditions for lateral drilling. According to the Mineral Resources Act, current regulations require explicit consent from landowners for lateral drilling regardless of the target depth; the proposal seeks to extend the tolerance period for drilling at a depth of 700 meters to reduce delays caused by adjusting drilling trajectories due to unforeseen geological obstacles. At the same time, there are similar provisions under the Water Resources Act, and the motion proposes establishing a drilling tolerance obligation at specified depths.

This geothermal legal reform also emphasizes that geothermal drilling must still comply with the highest safety and environmental standards, ensuring the protection of groundwater resources and drinking water supplies. Mag. Lukas Hammer also urged the federal government to prioritize drafting the bill, mentioning that similar proposals had wasted time after being rejected in 2025.

In terms of project progress, Austria's most advanced deep geothermal project is currently located in Vienna, where drilling and well testing have been completed; exploration work has also begun in Graz and Lower Austria. As the geothermal legal reform enters subsequent legislative stages, relevant regulations will continue to focus on deep geothermal development, drilling permits, and water protection.

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