S-1335.1          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5681

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Thorsness, Sutherland, Williams and Saling.

Read first time February 14, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.Requiring rules for geothermal resource leasing.

     AN ACT Relating to geothermal resources; adding a new section to chapter 79.12 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that geothermal resources may provide a significant source of energy to serve the growing needs of this state, and that private utilities, the Bonneville power administration and the northwest power planning council have expressed interest in an accelerated program of investigating potential geothermal energy in the state.  The legislature further finds that many geothermal resources are located on state lands and that potential geothermal developers need guidance as to the policy for leasing state lands that may contain this energy source.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 79.12 RCW to read as follows:

     By December 1, 1991, the department of natural resources shall adopt rules providing guidelines and procedures for leasing state-owned land for the development of geothermal resources.