As geothermal developments bloom in Utah, lawmakers aim to answer: who has a claim on the geothermal resources in the state?

“We have a lot of geothermal resources, and they’re not being developed as much as they should or could be,” Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, told the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee on Wednesday. “And the question was, who owns the geothermal resource in the state of Utah? Is it a water right? Is it a surface right, or is it a mineral right?”

Currently, the Utah Division of Water Rights reviews permits for geothermal developments, a process that can be done in about 30 days, Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, told the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Commit

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