There is hereby established the Geothermal Energy Coordination and Management Project.
(1) The Project shall be composed of six members as follows:
(A) one appointed by the President;
(B) an Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation;
(C) an Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior;
(D) an Associate Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(E) the Assistant Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration for Solar, Geothermal, and Advanced Energy Systems;
(F) an Assistant Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration;
(G) an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(H) an Assistant Secretary of Treasury; and
(I) an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) The President shall designate the Assistant Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration for Solar, Geothermal, and Advanced Energy Systems to serve as Chairman of the Project.
(3) If the individual appointed under paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection is an officer or employee of the Federal Government, he shall receive no additional pay on account of his service as a member of the Project. If such individual is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government, he shall be entitled to receive the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5315) for each day (including traveltime) during which he is engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Project.
The Project shall have overall responsibility for the provision of effective management and coordination with respect to a national geothermal energy research, development, and demonstration program. Such program shall include—
(1) the determination and evaluation of the resource base;
(2) research and development with respect to exploration, extraction, and utilization technologies;
(3) the demonstration of appropriate technologies; and
(4) the loan guaranty program under subchapter II of this chapter.
(1) The Project shall carry out its responsibilities under this section acting through the following Federal agencies:
(A) the Department of the Interior, the responsibilities of which shall include evaluation and assessment of the resource base, including development of exploration technologies;
(B) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the responsibilities of which shall include the provision of contract management capability, evaluation and assessment of the resource base, and the development of technologies pursuant to section 1122(b) of this title;
(C) the Atomic Energy Commission, the responsibilities of which shall include the development of technologies; and
(D) the National Science Foundation, the responsibilities of which shall include basic and applied research.
(2) Upon request of the Project, the head of any such agency is authorized to detail or assign, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, any of the personnel of such agency to the Project to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities under this chapter.
The Project shall have exclusive authority with respect to the establishment or approval of programs or projects initiated under this chapter, except that the agency involved in any particular program or project shall be responsible for the operation and administration of such program or project.
(Pub. L. 93–410, title I, §101, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1080; Pub. L. 95–238, title V, §502, Feb. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 86.)
1978—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 95–238, §502(1)–(3), in subpar. (E) substituted “Assistant Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration for Solar, Geothermal, and Advanced Energy Systems;” for “General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission; and”, and added subpars. (G) to (I).
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 95–238, §502(4), substituted “the Assistant Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration for Solar, Geothermal, and Advanced Energy Systems” for “one member of the Project”.
Energy Research and Development Administration terminated and functions vested by law in Administrator thereof transferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifically provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Atomic Energy Commission abolished and functions transferred by sections 5814 and 5841 of Title 42. See, also, Transfer of Functions notes set out under those sections.
Federal Energy Administration terminated and all functions transferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifically provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42.
(a)(1) The Chairman, acting through the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is authorized and directed to prepare a comprehensive program definition of an integrated effort and commitment for effectively developing geothermal energy resources. Such Administrator, in preparing such comprehensive program definition, is authorized to consult with other Federal agencies and non-Federal entities.
(2) The Chairman shall transmit such comprehensive program definition to the President and to each House of the Congress. Interim reports shall be transmitted not later than November 30, 1974, and not later than January 31, 1975. Such comprehensive program definition shall be transmitted as soon as possible thereafter, but in any case not later than August 31, 1975.
(3) As part of the comprehensive program definition required by paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Chairman, acting through the United States Geological Survey, shall transmit to the President and to each House of the Congress a schedule and objectives for the inventorying of geothermal resources.
(b) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is authorized to undertake and carry out those programs assigned to it by the Project.
(Pub. L. 93–410, title I, §102, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1081; Pub. L. 102–154, title I, Nov. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1000.)
“United States Geological Survey” substituted for “Geological Survey” in subsec. (a)(3) pursuant to provision of title I of Pub. L. 102–154, set out as a note under section 31 of Title 43, Public Lands.
(a) The Chairman shall initiate a resource inventory and assessment program with the objective of making regional and national appraisals of all types of geothermal resources, including identification of promising target areas for industrial exploration and development. The specific goals shall include—
(1) the improvement of geophysical, geochemical, geological, and hydrological techniques necessary for locating and evaluating geothermal resources;
(2) the development of better methods for predicting the power potential and longevity of geothermal reservoirs;
(3) the determination and assessment of the nature and power potential of the deeper unexplored parts of high temperature geothermal convection systems; and
(4) the survey and assessment of regional and national geothermal resources of all types.
(b) The Chairman, acting through the United States Geological Survey and other appropriate agencies, shall—
(1) develop and carry out a general plan for the orderly inventorying of all forms of geothermal resources of the Federal lands and, where consistent with property rights and determined by the Chairman to be in the national interest, of non-Federal lands;
(2) conduct regional surveys, based upon such a general plan, using innovative geological, geophysical, geochemical, and stratagraphic drilling techniques, which will lead to a national inventory of geothermal resources in the United States;
(3) publish and make available maps, reports, and other documents developed from such surveys to encourage and facilitate the commercial development of geothermal resources for beneficial use and consistent with the national interest;
(4) make such recommendations for legislation or administrative regulations as may from time to time appear to be necessary to make Federal leasing, environmental and taxing policy for geothermal resources consistent with known inventories of various resource types, with the current state of technologies for geothermal energy development, and with current evaluations of the environmental impacts of such development; and
(5) participate with appropriate Federal agencies and non-Federal entities in research to develop, improve, and test technologies for the discovery and evaluation of all forms of geothermal resources, and conduct research into the principles controlling the location, occurrence, size, temperature, energy content, producibility, and economic lifetimes of geothermal reservoirs.
(Pub. L. 93–410, title I, §103, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1082; Pub. L. 95–238, title V, §503, Feb. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 86; Pub. L. 102–154, title I, Nov. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1000.)
1978—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 95–238 inserted “or administrative regulations” after “legislation” and “, environmental and taxing” after “leasing”.
“United States Geological Survey” substituted for “Geological Survey” in subsec. (b) pursuant to provision of title I of Pub. L. 102–154, set out as a note under section 31 of Title 43, Public Lands.
(a) The Chairman, acting through the appropriate Federal agencies and in cooperation with non-Federal entities, shall initiate a research and development program for the purpose of resolving all major technical problems inhibiting the fullest possible commercial utilization of geothermal resources in the United States. The specific goals of such programs shall include—
(1) the development of effective and efficient drilling methods to operate at high temperatures in formations of geothermal interest;
(2) the development of reliable predictive methods and control techniques for the production of geothermal resources from reservoirs;
(3) the exploitation of new concepts for fracturing rock to permit recovery of contained heat reserves;
(4) the improvement of equipment and technology for the extraction of geothermal resources from reservoirs;
(5) the development of improved methods for converting geothermal resources and byproducts to useful forms;
(6) the development of improved methods for controlling emissions and wastes from geothermal utilization facilities, including new monitoring methods to any extent necessary;
(7) the development and evaluation of waste disposal control technologies and the evaluation of surface and subsurface environmental effects of geothermal development;
(8) the improvement of the technical capability to predict environmental impacts resulting from the development of geothermal resources, the preparation of environmental impact statements, and the assuring of compliance with applicable standards and criteria;
(9) the identification of social, legal, and economic problems associated with geothermal development (both locally and regionally) for the purpose of developing policy and providing a framework of policy alternatives for the commercial utilization of geothermal resources;
(10) the provision for an adequate supply of scientists to perform required geothermal research and development activities; and
(11) the establishment of a program to encourage States to establish and maintain geothermal resources clearinghouses, which shall serve to (A) provide geothermal resources developers with information with respect to applicable local, State, and Federal laws, rules, and regulations, (B) coordinate the processing of permit applications, impact statements, and other information which geothermal resources developers are required to provide, (C) encourage uniformity with respect to local and State laws, rules, and regulations with respect to geothermal resources development, and (D) encourage establishment of land use plans, which would include zoning for geothermal resources development and which would assure that geothermal resources developers will be able to carry out development programs to the production stage.
(b) The Chairman, acting through the appropriate Federal agencies and in cooperation with non-Federal entities, shall implement a coordinated program of research and development in order to demonstrate the technical means for the extraction and utilization of the resource base, including any by-products of such base, and in order to accomplish the goals established by subsection (a) of this section. Research authorized by this chapter having potential applications in matters other than geothermal energy may be pursued to the extent that the findings of such research can be published in a form for utilization by others.
(Pub. L. 93–410, title I, §104, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1083.)
The Chairman, acting through the appropriate Federal agencies and in cooperation with non-Federal entities, shall initiate a program to design and construct geothermal demonstration plants. The specific goals of such program shall include—
(1) the development of economical geothermal resources production systems and components which meet environmental standards;
(2) the design of plants to produce electric power and, where appropriate, the large-scale production and utilization of any useful by-products;
(3) the involvement of engineers, analysts, technicians, and managers from industry field and powerplant development, which shall lead to the early industrial exploitation of advanced geothermal resources;
(4) the provision for an adequate supply of trained geothermal engineers and technicians;
(5) the provision of experimental test beds for component testing an evaluation by laboratories operated by the Federal Government, industry, or institutions of higher education;
(6) the construction and operation of pilot plants; and
(7) the construction and operation of demonstration plants.
In carrying out his responsibilities under this section, the Chairman, acting through the appropriate Federal agencies, and in cooperation with non-Federal entities, may provide for the establishment of one or more demonstration projects utilizing each geothermal resource base involved, which shall include, as appropriate, all of the exploration, siting, drilling, pilot plant construction and operation, demonstration plant construction and operation, and other facilities and activities which may be necessary for the generation of electric energy and the utilization of geothermal resource byproducts.
The Chairman, acting through the appropriate Federal agencies, is authorized to investigate and enter into agreements for the cooperative development of facilities to demonstrate the production of energy from geothermal resources. The responsible Federal agency may consider—
(1) cooperative agreements with utilities and non-Federal governmental entities for construction of facilities to produce energy for commercial disposition; and
(2) cooperative agreements with other Federal agencies for the construction and operation of facilities to produce energy for direct Federal consumption.
The responsible Federal agency is authorized to investigate the feasibility of, construct, and operate, demonstration projects without entering into cooperative agreements with respect to such projects, if the Chairman finds that—
(1) the nature of the resource, the geographical location, the scale and engineering design of the facilities, the techniques of production, or any other significant factor of the proposal offers opportunities to make important contributions to the general knowledge of geothermal resources, the techniques of its development, or public confidence in the technology; and
(2) there is no opportunity for cooperative agreements with any utility or non-Federal governmental entity willing and able to cooperate in the demonstration project under subsection (c)(1) of this section, and there is no opportunity for cooperative agreements with other Federal agencies under subsection (c)(2) of this section.
Before favorably considering proposals under subsection (c) of this section, the responsible Federal agency must find that—
(1) the nature of the resource, the geographical location, the scale and engineering design of the facilities, the techniques of production, or any other significant factor of the proposal offers opportunities to make important contributions to the general knowledge of geothermal resources, the techniques of its development, or public confidence in the technology;
(2) the development of the practical benefits as set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection are unlikely to be accomplished without such cooperative development; and
(3) where non-Federal participants are involved, the proposal is not eligible for adequate Federal assistance under the loan guaranty provisions of subchapter II of this chapter or such assistance would not be adequate to satisfy the goals and requirements of the demonstration program under this section.
If the estimate of the Federal investment with respect to construction and operation costs of any demonstration project proposed to be established under this section exceeds $10,000,000, no amount may be appropriated for such project except as specifically authorized by legislation hereafter enacted by the Congress.
(1) At the conclusion of the program under this section or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, the responsible Federal agencies shall, by sale, lease, or otherwise, dispose of all Federal property interests which they have acquired pursuant to this section (including mineral rights) in accordance with existing law and the terms of the cooperative agreements involved.
(2) The agency involved shall, under appropriate agreements or other arrangements, provide for the disposition of geothermal resource byproducts of the project administered by such agency.
(Pub. L. 93–410, title I, §105, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1084; Pub. L. 95–238, title V, §504, Feb. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 86.)
1978—Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 95–238 inserted provisions relating to goals and requirements of the demonstration program.
It is the policy of the Congress to encourage the development and maintenance of programs through which there may be provided the necessary trained personnel to perform required geothermal research, development, and demonstration activities under sections 1123, 1124, and 1125 of this title.
The National Science Foundation is authorized to support programs of education in the sciences and engineering to carry out the policy of subsection (a) of this section. Such support may include fellowships, traineeships, technical training programs, technologist training programs, and summer institute programs.
The National Science Foundation is authorized and directed to coordinate its actions, to the maximum extent practicable, with the Project or any permanent Federal organization or agency having jurisdiction over the energy research and development functions of the United States, in determining the optimal selection of programs of education to carry out the policy of subsection (a) of this section.
The National Science Foundation is authorized to encourage, to the maximum extent practicable international participation and cooperation in the development and maintenance of programs of education to carrying out the policy of subsection (a) of this section.
(Pub. L. 93–410, title I, §106, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1085.)
Functions of National Science Foundation relating to geothermal power development transferred to Administrator of Energy Research and Development Administration (unless otherwise specifically provided) by section 5814 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Energy Research and Development Administration terminated and functions vested by law in Administrator thereof transferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifically provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42.