§9111 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

You must have a license to own, build, or run an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant that is U.S.-documented, sits between the high-water mark and the U.S. territorial sea, or is tied to the United States by a pipe or cable. A U.S. citizen also needs a license to operate an OTEC plantship, unless a foreign license is found to be compatible after the Secretary of State is consulted. The law covers two main things: OTEC facilities (fixed or seabed-connected plants) and plantships (vessels that make OTEC power). The Administrator must accept and act on license applications, transfers, changes, and renewals for those U.S.-documented facilities and plantships. Licenses can be denied for specific reasons, including inability to follow laws and rules; harms to national security, navigation, or other sea uses; an EPA finding within 45 days after public hearings that the proposal breaks applicable laws; an Attorney General antitrust opinion or until a 90-day review ends; problems found after consulting relevant federal agencies and the Coast Guard’s department; conflicts with coastal state management; use of foreign documentation; failure to agree to certain U.S.-only transport rules; interference with existing seabed cables or pipelines; or if issuing the license would exceed any legal cap on number or capacity. Licenses must include conditions set by the Administrator. Applicants must agree in writing not to make major changes without approval and to follow license rules. The Administrator can require bonds or other guarantees to make sure facilities or plantships are removed or disposed of if a license ends, but may allow reuse or leave parts on or under the seabed if safe. Transfers are allowed if in the public interest and the new owner meets the rules. Any qualified U.S. citizen can get a license. Licenses run for up to 25 years and can be renewed; each renewal can extend up to 10 years, subject to the same approval tests.

Title 42, §9111

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No person may engage in the ownership, construction, or operation of an ocean thermal energy conversion facility which is documented under the laws of the United States, which is located in whole or in part between the highwater mark and the seaward boundary of the territorial sea of the United States, or which is connected to the United States by pipeline or cable, except in accordance with a license issued pursuant to this chapter. No citizen of the United States may engage in the ownership, construction or operation of an ocean thermal energy conversion plantship except in accordance with a license issued pursuant to this chapter, or in accordance with a license issued by a foreign nation whose licenses are found by the Administrator, after consultation with the Secretary of State, to be compatible with licenses issued pursuant to this chapter.

(b)The Administrator shall, upon application and in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, issue, transfer, amend, or renew licenses for the ownership, construction, and operation of—

(1)ocean thermal energy conversion plantships documented under the laws of the United States, and

(2)ocean thermal energy conversion facilities documented under the laws of the United States, located in whole or in part between the highwater mark and the seaward boundary of the territorial sea of the United States, or connected to the United States by pipeline or cable.

(c)The Administrator may issue a license to a citizen of the United States in accordance with the provisions of this chapter unless—

(1)he determines that the applicant cannot or will not comply with applicable laws, regulations, and license conditions;

(2)he determines that the construction and operation of the ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship will not be in the national interest and consistent with national security and other national policy goals and objectives, including energy self-sufficiency and environmental quality;

(3)he determines, after consultation with the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, that the ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship will not be operated with reasonable regard to the freedom of navigation or other reasonable uses of the high seas and authorized uses of the Continental Shelf, as defined by United States law, treaty, convention, or customary international law;

(4)he has been informed, within 45 days after the conclusion of public hearings on that application, or on proposed licenses for the designated application area, by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency that the ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship will not conform with all applicable provisions of any law for which he has regulatory authority;

(5)he has received the opinion of the Attorney General, pursuant to section 9114 of this title, stating that issuance of the license would create a situation in violation of the antitrust laws, or the 90-day period provided in section 9114 of this title has not expired;

(6)he has consulted with the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Defense, to determine their views on the adequacy of the application, and its effect on programs within their respective jurisdictions and determines on the basis thereof, that the application for a license is inadequate;

(7)the proposed ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship will be documented under the laws of a foreign nation;

(8)the applicant has not agreed to the condition that no vessel may be used for the transportation to the United States of things produced, processed, refined, or manufactured at the ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship unless such vessel is documented under the laws of the United States;

(9)when the license is for an ocean thermal energy conversion facility, he determines that the facility, including any submarine electric transmission cables and equipment or pipelines which are components of the facility, will not be located and designed so as to minimize interference with other uses of the high seas or the Continental Shelf, including cables or pipelines already in position on or in the seabed and the possibility of their repair;

(10)the Governor of any adjacent coastal State with an approved coastal zone management program in good standing pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) determines that, in his or her view, the application is inadequate or inconsistent with respect to programs within his or her jurisdiction;

(11)when the license is for an ocean thermal energy conversion facility, he determines that the thermal plume of the facility is expected to impinge on so as to degrade the thermal gradient used by any other ocean thermal energy conversion facility already licensed or operating, without the consent of its owner;

(12)when the license is for an ocean thermal energy conversion facility, he determines that the thermal plume of the facility is expected to impinge on so as to adversely affect the territorial sea or area of national resource jurisdiction, as recognized by the United States, of any other nation, unless the Secretary of State approves such impingement after consultation with such nation;

(13)when the license is for an ocean thermal energy conversion plantship, he determines that the applicant has not provided adequate assurance that the plantship will be operated in such a way as to prevent its thermal plume from impinging on so as to degrade the thermal gradient used by any other ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship without the consent of its owner, and from impinging on so as to adversely affect the territorial sea or area of national resource jurisdiction, as recognized by the United States, of any other nation unless the Secretary of State approves such impingement after consultation with such nation; or

(14)if a regulation has been adopted which places an upper limit on the number or total capacity of ocean thermal energy conversion facilities or plantships to be licensed under this chapter for simultaneous operation, either overall or within specific geographic areas, pursuant to a determination under the provisions of section 9117(b)(4) of this title, issuance of the license will cause such upper limit to be exceeded.

(d)(1)In issuing a license for the ownership, construction, and operation of an ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship, the Administrator shall prescribe conditions which he deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, or which are otherwise required by any Federal department or agency pursuant to the terms of this chapter.

(2)No license shall be issued, transferred, or renewed under this chapter unless the applicant, licensee or transferee first agrees in writing that (A) there will be no substantial change from the plans, operational systems, and methods, procedures, and safeguards set forth in his application, as approved, without prior approval in writing from the Administrator, and (B) he will comply with conditions the Administrator may prescribe in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(3)The Administrator shall establish such bonding requirements or other assurances as he deems necessary to assure that, upon the revocation, termination, relinquishment, or surrender of a license, the licensee will dispose of or remove all components of the ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship as directed by the Administrator. In the case of components which another applicant or licensee desires to use, the Administrator may waive the disposal or removal requirements until he has reached a decision on the application. In the case of components lying on or below the seabed, the Administrator may waive the disposal or removal requirements if he finds that such removal is not otherwise necessary and that the remaining components do not constitute any threat to the environment, navigation, fishing, or other uses of the seabed.

(e)Upon application, a license issued under this chapter may be transferred if the Administrator determines that such transfer is in the public interest and that the transferee meets the requirements of this chapter and the prerequisites to issuance under subsection (c) of this section.

(f)Any United States citizen who otherwise qualifies under the terms of this chapter shall be eligible to be issued a license for the ownership, construction, and operation of an ocean thermal energy conversion facility or plantship.

(g)Licenses issued under this chapter shall be for a term of not to exceed 25 years. Each licensee shall have a preferential right to renew his license subject to the requirements of subsection (c) of this section, upon such conditions and for such term, not to exceed an additional 10 years upon each renewal, as the Administrator determines to be reasonable and appropriate.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–320, Aug. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 974, known as the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act of 1980, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 9101 of this title and Tables. The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, referred to in subsec. (c)(10), is title III of Pub. L. 89–454 as added by Pub. L. 92–583, Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1280, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§ 1451 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1451 of Title 16 and Tables.

Amendments

1984—Subsecs. (a), (b)(2). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(a)(3), (4), substituted “located in whole or in part between the highwater mark and the seaward boundary of the territorial sea” for “located in the territorial sea”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(b)(1), substituted “cannot or will not” for “cannot and will not”. Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(e)(8), substituted “regulatory authority” for “

Enforcement

authority”. Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(b)(2), substituted “has not expired” for “has expired”. Subsec. (c)(6). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(e)(9), substituted “application for a license” for “application for license”. Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(a)(5), substituted “will be documented under the laws of a foreign nation” for “will not be documented under the laws of the United States”. Subsec. (c)(10). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(b)(3), (5), substituted “any adjacent” for “each adjacent” and “(16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.)” for “(33 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.)”. Subsec. (c)(13). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(b)(4), substituted “or” for “and” after the semicolon at the end. Subsec. (c)(14). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(e)(10), substituted “if a regulation” for “when a regulation”. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 98–623, § 602(e)(11), substituted “applicant, licensee” for “licensee”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Executive Documents

Territorial Sea of United States For extension of territorial sea of United States, see Proc. No. 5928, set out as a note under section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands.

§9111 License for ownership, construction, and operation of ocean thermal energy conversion facilities or plantships

Summary

Title 42, §9111

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Short Title

Short Title

Amendments

Enforcement

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

Executive Documents

Citations & Metadata