The Legislature hereby finds and declares that development of geothermal resources beneath state lands is an essential element in the development of additional energy sources for the State of California. It is further recognized by the Legislature that different parcels of state lands have varying degrees of potential for the successful development of geothermal resources. As some parcels display strong indications of geothermal resources and likelihood of commercially producible energy which could be let at competitive lease sale, and other parcels indicate potential but need additional exploration, and still other parcels have never been explored, the flexible leasing program established by this chapter is necessary to promote more rapid and extensive geothermal development on state lands.

(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1139.)