Book Description

The Geothermal Commercialization Project is a cooperative program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and various individual states. Its purpose is to promote the utilization of geothermal energy through planning services, information dissemination, technical assistance, institutional analysis, and other support services. In Utah, the contracting agency is the Division of Water Rights of the Department of Natural Resources. The specific tasks which were performed in the course of the project included the identification and tabulation of known and potential resource sites; planning at the site-specific and regional levels; the analysis of institutional factors affecting the rate of progress of geothermal development; recommendations for improvement in state and federal regulatory procedures and policies; and continuous monitoring of geothermal activity in Utah. This report summarizes the results of these tasks and references the specific reports in which they can be found. The benefits of the project to the state are discussed, including the passage of state legislation dealing with the regulation of geothermal development in the state, and providing a source of information and assistance within the state for potential developers. Recommendations include additional legislation and continued support activity to facilitate the development of all types of geothermal resources in Utah.