Administration of the Geothermal Resources Act shall be based on the principle of multiple use of state land and resources and shall allow coexistence of other leases on the same lands for deposits of other minerals, and the existence of leases issued pursuant to the Geothermal Resources Act shall not preclude other uses of the land covered thereby. Geothermal resources may be administered as a renewable energy resource, in which case any leases for and regulations of a geothermal resource as a renewable energy resource shall require that the geothermal resource not be diminished beneath applicable natural seasonal fluctuations in the measurable quantity, quality or temperature of any area classified as a known geothermal resources field. However, operations under other leases or for other uses shall not unreasonably interfere with or endanger operations under any lease issued pursuant to the Geothermal Resources Act, nor shall operations under leases issued pursuant to the Geothermal Resources Act unreasonably interfere with or endanger operations under any lease issued pursuant to any other law. The Geothermal Resources Act shall not be construed to supersede the authority that any state department or agency has with respect to the management, protection and utilization of the state lands and resources under its jurisdiction.
History: 1953 Comp., § 7-15-3, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 158, § 3; 2013, ch. 125, § 2.
The 2013 amendment, effective June 14, 2013, provided for conditions of leases of geothermal resources to sustain the resource; and added the second sentence.
Structure 2021 New Mexico Statutes
Article 13 - Lease of Geothermal Resources on State Lands
Section 19-13-1 - Short title.
Section 19-13-2 - Definitions.
Section 19-13-3 - Administration of act.
Section 19-13-4 - Geothermal resources of commercial value.
Section 19-13-5 - Leases; applications; limitations.
Section 19-13-6 - Known geothermal resources fields.
Section 19-13-7 - Leases; terms; rentals and royalties.
Section 19-13-8 - Leases; relinquishment.
Section 19-13-9 - Rent or royalties; waiver; suspension; reduction.
Section 19-13-10 - Suspension of operation and production.
Section 19-13-11 - Leases; duration.
Section 19-13-11.1 - Leases; stipulation; rental; royalty.
Section 19-13-11.2 - Validation of geothermal resource leases.
Section 19-13-12 - Combining geothermal resources.
Section 19-13-13 - Reinjecting geothermal resources.
Section 19-13-14 - Cooperative development or operation.
Section 19-13-15 - Posting of open acreage; simultaneous applications.
Section 19-13-16 - State land sales and leases; reservations.
Section 19-13-17 - Use of the surface.
Section 19-13-18 - Bonds; surface damage; performance.
Section 19-13-19 - State lands; jurisdictions.
Section 19-13-20 - General mining lease; lease preference.
Section 19-13-21 - Transferability.
Section 19-13-22 - Inspection of records; reports.
Section 19-13-23 - Violation of lease; notice; forfeiture.
Section 19-13-24 - Removing improvements upon termination of lease.
Section 19-13-25 - Regulations.
Section 19-13-26 - Withholding state lands from lease; lease by competitive bids.