93rd Congress, H. R. 14920 An Act To further the conduct of research, development. and demonstrations in geothermal energy technologies, to establish a Geothermal Energy Coordination and Management Project, to provide for the carrying out of research and development in geothermal energy technology, to carry out a program of demonstrations in technologies for the utilization of geothermal resources, to establish a loan guaranty program for the financing of geothermal energy development, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE Geothermal SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Geothermal Energy tion Act of Rescarch, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974". FINDINGS SEC. 2. The Congress hereby finds that— (1) the Nation is currently suffering a critical shortage of environmentally acceptable forms of energy; (2) the inadequate organizational structures and levels of funding for energy research have limited the Nation's current and future options for meeting energy needs; (3) electric energy is a clean and convenient form of energy at the location of its use and is the only practicable form of energy in some modern applications, but the demand for electric energy in every region of the United States is taxing all of the alternative energy sources presently available and is projected to increase; some of the sources available for electric power generation are already in short supply, and the development and use of other sources presently involve undesirable environmental impacts; (4) the Nation's critical energy problems can be solved only if a national commitment is made to dedicate the necessary financial resources, and enlist the cooperation of the private and public sectors, in developing geothermal resources and other nonconventional sources of energy; (5) the conventional geothermal resources which are presently being used have limited total potential; but geothermal resources which are different from those presently being used, and which have extremely large energy content, are known to exist; (6) some geothermal resources contain energy in forms other than heat; examples are methane and extremely high pressures available upon release as kinetic energy; (7) some geothermal resources contain valuable byproducts such as potable water and mineral compounds which should be processed and recovered as national resources; 1974. 30 USC 1101 note. 30 USC 1101. 88 STAT. 1079 (8) technologies are not presently available for the develop- 8R STAT. 1080 ment of most of these geothermal resources, but technologies for the generation of electric energy from geothermal resources are potentially economical and environmentally desirable, and the development of geothermal resources offers possibilities of process energy and other nonelectric applications; (9) much of the known geothermal resources exist on the public lands; 88-081 O 30 USC 1102. 30 USC 1121. Membership. (10) Federal financial assistance is necessary to encourage the extensive exploration, research. and development in geothermal resources which will bring these technologies to the point of commercial application; (11) the advancement of technology with the cooperation of private industry for the production of useful forms of energy from geothermal resources is important with respect to the Federal responsibility for the general welfare, to facilitate commerce, to encourage productive harmony between man and his environment, and to protect the public interest; and (12) the Federal Government should encourage and assist private industry through Federal assistance for the development and demonstration of practicable means to produce useful energy from geothermal resources with environmentally acceptable processes. DEFINITIONS SEC. 3. For the purposes of this Act (1) the term "geothermal resources" means (A) all products of geothermal processes, embracing indigenous steam, hot water, and brines, (B) steam and other gases, hot water and hot brines. resulting from water, gas, or other fluids artificially introduced into geothermal formations, and (C) any byproduct derived from them; (2) the term "byproduct" means any mineral or minerals which are found in solution or in association with geothermal resources and which have a value of less than 75 percent of the value of the geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources or are not, because of quantity, quality, or technical difficulties in extraction and production, of sufficient value to warrant extraction and production by themselves; (3) "pilot plant" means an experimental unit of small size used for early evaluation and development of new or improved processes and to obtain technical, engineering, and cost data; (4) "demonstration plant" means a complete facility which produces electricity, heat energy, or useful byproducts for commercial disposal from geothermal resources and which will make a significant contribution to the knowledge of full-size technology, plant operation, and process economics; (5) the term "Project" means the Geothermal Energy Coordination and Management Project established by section 101(a); (6) the term "fund" means the Geothermal Resources Development Fund established by section 204 (a) ; and (7) the term "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Project. TITLE I-GEOTHERMAL ENERGY COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT ESTABLISHMENT SEC. 101. (a) There is hereby established the Geothermal Energy Coordination and Management Project. (b) (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 |