30 U.S.C. § 1125 : US Code - Section 1125: Geothermal demonstration plants and projects

Search 30 U.S.C. § 1125 : US Code - Section 1125: Geothermal demonstration plants and projects

(a) Design and construction
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.
(b) Establishment of demonstration projects
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.
(c) Agreements for the cooperative development of facilities for
demonstration
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.
(d) Construction of demonstration projects without entering into
agreements
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.
(e) Factors considered for entry into agreements
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.
(f) Limits on project costs
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.
(g) Disposal of Federal property interests and resource byproducts
(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.