Geothermal Amendments

Lowered the minimum temperature threshold for 'geothermal fluid' and 'geothermal resource' from 120 degrees centigrade to 100 degrees centigrade.

Clarified that 'geothermal resource' includes the natural heat of the earth and energy extracted via various systems, while explicitly excluding 'geothermal fluids' from the definition of 'geothermal resource'.

Extended the period during which well logs and records can be held confidential from the previous unspecified limit to a maximum of five years from production or abandonment.

Updated the confidentiality rules to allow state officers and tax officials to inspect records even when they are marked as confidential by the owner.

Set the effective date of the new provisions to May 6, 2026.

Reaffirmed that geothermal resources are reserved on state and institutional trust lands and clarified that ownership derives from surface rights unless expressly reserved.

Updated the definition of 'geothermal fluid' to lower the temperature threshold from 120 degrees to 100 degrees centigrade, broadening what is legally considered a geothermal fluid.

Expanded the definition of 'geothermal resource' to explicitly include energy from enhanced and advanced geothermal systems, ensuring modern extraction methods are covered by the law.

Established a specific effective date of May 6, 2026, for ownership rules, granting title to geothermal resources to surface landowners unless previously reserved or conveyed, while maintaining state ownership on trust lands.

Reduced the confidentiality period for well logs and records from five years to one year after abandonment or completion of test wells, making more data available to the public sooner.

Strengthened bonding requirements by clarifying that operators must file surety bonds for new and abandoned wells to secure the state against costs related to non-compliance or abandonment.

Corrected grammatical errors and inconsistent phrasing throughout the text to improve clarity and legal precision.

Lowered the temperature threshold for 'geothermal fluid' and 'geothermal resource' from 120 degrees to 100 degrees Celsius to broaden the scope of what is regulated.

Clarified that ownership of geothermal resources comes from owning the surface of the land, not from mineral rights, unless explicitly conveyed otherwise.

Increased the maximum confidentiality period for well logs and records from an unspecified time to five years, allowing operators to protect sensitive data.

Strengthened bonding requirements for well operators to secure the state against losses related to non-compliance with drilling and abandonment regulations.

Corrected grammatical errors and inconsistent formatting in the original text to improve readability and legal clarity.

The definition of 'geothermal resource' was expanded to explicitly include 'enhanced geothermal' and 'advanced geothermal systems' and the definition of 'geothermal fluid' was updated to include water and steam at temperatures greater than 100 degrees Celsius (previously 120).

Ownership rules were clarified to state that a person owning the surface of the land also owns the geothermal resource, even if the mineral estate is severed, unless the geothermal right is expressly reserved in a deed or contract.

An exception was created for school and institutional trust lands; on and after May 6, 2026, the state owns the geothermal resource in these lands unless it has been expressly conveyed to another party.

Confidentiality requirements for well logs were updated to allow records to be held protected for up to five years from production or abandonment, rather than being public records immediately upon filing.

A new provision was added stating that the geothermal chapter does not apply to the removal or extraction of a mineral from a geothermal resource.

Explicitly reserves geothermal resources on state and institutional trust lands, preventing private ownership without state consent.

Updated the definition of 'geothermal resource' to include natural earth heat and energy extracted via various systems, and lowered the temperature threshold for 'geothermal fluid' from 120 to 100 degrees centigrade.

Clarified that a 'geothermal area' is land underlain or appearing to be underlain by a geothermal resource, replacing ambiguous language.

Revised leasing and disposition rules for trust lands to explicitly mention geothermal resources alongside coal and minerals.

The ownership rules for geothermal resources were removed and replaced with a statement of the chapter's purpose, which now includes fostering discovery and development while protecting the environment and public welfare.

A new provision was added stating that the chapter does not apply to the removal or extraction of minerals from a geothermal resource, distinguishing between geothermal fluids and solid minerals.

The document metadata changed from Senate amendments dated February 23, 2026, to House Committee amendments dated February 26, 2026, reflecting the bill's progression.

Expanded the definition of 'geothermal resource' to explicitly include energy from advanced geothermal systems.

Modified confidentiality rules for well logs, reducing the maximum protection period from five years to two years for abandoned or non-production wells.

Clarified that surface landowners retain title to geothermal resources unless explicitly conveyed, even if the mineral estate is sold separately.

Updated language regarding school trust lands to specify that the state retains ownership of geothermal resources on these lands unless a deed was previously executed.

Added a new section (53C-2-401) reserving geothermal resources on state trust lands to prevent them from being sold without state oversight.

Lowered the temperature threshold for 'geothermal fluid' from 120 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius, expanding the range of fluids regulated by the bill.

Updated the list of affected Utah Code sections to include 53C-2-401 and corrected the House Sponsor's name.