USA, California:

Bipartisan Opposition Against President’s Proposed Cuts to Geothermal Royalty Payments (Lake County News)

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) on Wednesday led a bipartisan coalition of legislators in calling on President Barack Obama to protect local clean energy royalties – which have helped pay for important public projects in Lake County – from harmful budget cuts.

In a letter to the president, Thompson and the lawmakers expressed their disappointment that geothermal royalty payments to counties were eliminated in the President’s recently released fiscal year 2016 budget. Because of the high burdens that geothermal production places on the counties where it is developed, counties currently share in the revenue of the federal receipts.

Many of the counties receiving revenue from geothermal receipts are small, rural counties – like Lake – facing uncertain budget situations. Such revenues have brought millions of dollars to Lake County over the past decade. In fiscal year 2014 alone, Lake County received more than $959,000 in geothermal royalties.

The funding has assisted Lake County with such projects as the purchase of more than 1,500 acres on Mt. Konocti that has been made into a county park. Geothermal royalties also have assisted in projects such as repairs at the new Gibson Museum and Cultural Center in Middletown.

But the funds are under a continual threat of cuts.

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