As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 45.2-2000

  • Board: means the State Water Control Board. See Virginia Code 45.2-2000
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Geothermal resource: means the natural heat of the earth and the energy, in whatever form, that is present in, associated with, or created by, or that may be extracted from, such natural heat, as determined by the regulations of the Department. See Virginia Code 45.2-2000
  • Geothermal system: means any aquifer, pool, reservoir, or other geologic formation containing geothermal resources. See Virginia Code 45.2-2000
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245

“Board” means the State Water Control Board.

“Correlative right” means the right of each geothermal owner in a geothermal system to produce without waste his just and equitable share of the geothermal resources in the geothermal system.

“Geothermal energy” means the usable energy that is produced or that can be produced from a geothermal resource.

“Geothermal resource” means the natural heat of the earth and the energy, in whatever form, that is present in, associated with, or created by, or that may be extracted from, such natural heat, as determined by the regulations of the Department.

“Geothermal system” means any aquifer, pool, reservoir, or other geologic formation containing geothermal resources.

1981, c. 506, § 45.1-179.2; 1984, c. 590; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.