California Public Resources Code ARTICLE 5.5 - Geothermal Resources

• Section 6901.
  This article shall be known and may be cited as the Geothermal Resources Act.(Added by renumbering Section 6902 by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1139.)
• Section 6902.
  The Legislature hereby finds and declares that development of geothermal resources beneath state lands is an essential element in the development of additional energy sources...
• Section 6903.
  For the purposes of this chapter, “geothermal resources” shall mean the natural heat of the earth, the energy, in whatever form, below the surface of...
• Section 6904.
  Permits and leases for exploration and development of geothermal resources on lands belonging to the state and leases for the development of geothermal resources reserved...
• Section 6905.
  Permits and leases may be issued pursuant to this article only to those who qualify for permits and leases under Section 6801.(Amended by Stats. 1978,...
• Section 6906.
  Administration of this article shall be under the principle of multiple use of public lands and resources, and shall allow coexistence of other permits or...
• Section 6907.
  Where it is determined by the commission that the production or use of geothermal resources is also susceptible of economically producing other of the geothermal...
• Section 6909.
  The commission may grant nonexclusive geological or geophysical exploration permits for geothermal resources upon such terms and conditions as the commission may prescribe, but any...
• Section 6910.
  (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 6906, the commission may issue a prospecting permit to the first qualified applicant therefor under such rules and regulations...
• Section 6911.
  (a) Lands may be selected for lease by the commission and shall be leased by competitive bid on the basis of a cash bonus, net profit,...
• Section 6912.
  (a) In case of an application for a permit or lease covering lands which have been sold by the state, subject to a reservation by the...
• Section 6913.
  Each prospecting permit and lease issued under this article shall provide for the following rentals and royalties with respect to geothermal resources produced, saved and...
• Section 6914.
  The holder of any geothermal resources permit or lease may quitclaim or relinquish his rights under such permit or lease pursuant to the provisions of...
• Section 6915.
  Subject to the other provisions of this article, the permittee or lessee shall be entitled to use so much of the surface as is reasonably...
• Section 6916.
  (a) The commission may issue leases for direct heat application of geothermal resources for nonelectrical purposes for a royalty of less than 10 percent of gross...
• Section 6917.
  A permit or lease may be terminated by the commission only pursuant to the provisions of Section 6805 of this code.(Added by Stats. 1967, Ch.
• Section 6918.
  Leases under this article shall be for a primary term not to exceed 10 years and so long thereafter as geothermal resources are being or...
• Section 6919.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the commission may negotiate and enter into agreements for compensation for drainage or geothermal leases of...
• Section 6920.
  Any person engaged in the production of geothermal resources under a lease issued by the commission may commingle geothermal resources from any two or more...
• Section 6921.
  A permittee or lessee may, upon the approval of the commission and pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3700) of Division...
• Section 6922.
  No prospecting permit or lease shall be made for less than 640 acres nor more than 5,760 acres and the permit or lease shall embrace...
• Section 6923.
  For the purpose of more properly conserving the natural resources of any geothermal resources areas, or any part thereof, the lessees thereof may unite with...
• Section 6924.
  Where the surface of state-owned lands sought for use or development of geothermal resources or the waters thereon are under the jurisdiction of a state...
• Section 6925.
  A permit or lease under this article may be assigned, transferred, or sublet as provided for in Section 6804 of this code.(Added by Stats. 1967,...
• Section 6925.1.
  Whenever, as determined by the commission, any operation conducted under a geothermal exploration permit, prospecting permit, or lease pursuant to this article constitutes an unreasonable...
• Section 6925.2.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the commission may, at its discretion, issue a lease to the first qualified applicant for a parcel of...

Last modified: October 22, 2018