§ 66-1105 — Geothermal resource development; conditions; permit; Department of Water, Energy, and Environment; adopt rules and regulations

Any person who desires to withdraw ground water within the State of Nebraska for geothermal resource development shall, prior to commencing construction of any wells, obtain from the Director of Water, Energy, and Environment a permit to authorize the withdrawal, transfer, and further use or reinjection of such ground water. The Department of Water, Energy, and Environment shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations governing the issuance of such permits, consistent with sections 66-1101 to 66-1106 and with Chapter 46, article 6. Such rules and regulations shall be compatible with rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the department under the Environmental Protection Act. Any geothermal fluids produced incident to the development and production of geothermal resources shall be reinjected into the same geologic formation from which they were extracted in substantially the same volume and substantially the same or higher quality as when extracted unless the permit issued in accordance with this section authorizes further uses or processing other than those incident to reinjection.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1982, LB 708, § 5; Laws 1993, LB 3, § 37; Laws 2000, LB 900, § 245; Laws 2019, LB302, § 78; Laws 2025, LB317, § 363. Operative Date: July 1, 2025 Cross References: Environmental Protection Act, see section 81-1532.