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Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-110

§1001 Definitions

Title 30 › CHAPTER 23 — GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES › § 1001

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in this chapter. It explains who or what the law talks about when it uses certain terms. The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior. A "geothermal lease" is a lease issued under this chapter. "Geothermal resources" covers steam, hot water, hot brines, gases, heat in geothermal rocks, and any byproducts from them. A "byproduct" means minerals (not oil, hydrocarbon gas, or helium) that occur with geothermal steam and are worth less than 75 percent of the steam's value, or that are not worth extracting by themselves because of low amount, poor quality, or technical difficulty. A "known geothermal resources area" is an area the Secretary thinks experienced people would find worth spending money to develop based on geology or nearby finds. "Significant thermal features within units of the National Park System" includes certain hot features in listed park units, including Crater Lake and specific parts of Big Bend and Lake Mead, plus any later additions. "Direct use" means using geothermal heat for homes, businesses, farms, public buildings, or other non‑electric needs.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §1001

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this chapter, the term—
(a)“Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior;
(b)“geothermal lease” means a lease issued under authority of this chapter;
(c)“geothermal resources” means (i) all products of geothermal processes, embracing indigenous steam, hot water and hot brines; (ii) steam and other gases, hot water and hot brines resulting from water, gas, or other fluids artificially introduced into geothermal formations; (iii) heat or other associated energy found in geothermal formations; and (iv) any byproduct derived from them;
(d)“byproduct” means any mineral or minerals (exclusive of oil, hydrocarbon gas, and helium) which are found in solution or in association with geothermal steam and which have a value of less than 75 per centum of the value of the geothermal steam or are not, because of quantity, quality, or technical difficulties in extraction and production, of sufficient value to warrant extraction and production by themselves;
(e)“known geothermal resources area” means an area in which the geology, nearby discoveries, competitive interests, or other indicia would, in the opinion of the Secretary, engender a belief in men who are experienced in the subject matter that the prospects for extraction of geothermal steam or associated geothermal resources are good enough to warrant expenditures of money for that purpose.
(f)“Significant thermal features within units of the National Park System” shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1)Thermal features within units of the National Park System listed in section 1 1026(a)(1) of this title and designated as significant in the Federal Register notice of August 3, 1987 (Vol. 52, No. 148 Fed. Reg. 28790).
(2)Crater Lake National Park.
(3)Thermal features within Big Bend National Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area proposed as significant in the Federal Register notice of February 13, 1987 (Vol. 52, No. 30 Fed. Reg. 4700).
(4)Thermal features within units of the National Park System added to the significant thermal features list pursuant to section 1026(a)(2) of this title.
(g)“direct use” means utilization of geothermal resources for commercial, residential, agricultural, public facilities, or other energy needs other than the commercial production of electricity; and

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2005—Pub. L. 109–58, § 236(5), inserted section catchline. Par. (c). Pub. L. 109–58, § 236(1), substituted “geothermal resources” for “geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources”. Par. (g). Pub. L. 109–58, § 236(2), added par. (g). 1988—Par. (f). Pub. L. 100–443 added par. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

of 2005 Amendment Pub. L. 109–58, title II, § 221, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 660, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle B (§§ 221–237) of title II of Pub. L. 109–58, enacting part B (§ 15871 et seq.) of subchapter II of chapter 149 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, amending this section and section 530 and 1002 to 1027 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 1004 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘John Rishel Geothermal Steam Act

Amendments

of 2005’.”

Short Title

of 1988 Amendment Pub. L. 100–443, § 1, Sept. 22, 1988, 102 Stat. 1766, provided that: “This Act [enacting section 1026 and 1027 of this title, amending this section and section 191, 226–3, 1005, 1017, and 1019 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 1005 and 1026 of this title] may be known as the ‘Geothermal Steam Act

Amendments

of 1988’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 91–581, § 1, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1566, as amended by Pub. L. 109–58, title II, § 236(4), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 671, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter and amending section 530 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Geothermal Steam Act of 1970’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 1001

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110