Counties lobbying for another change to GT revenue share

In Nevada, Humboldt County is joining with the National Association of Counties (NACo) in lobbying Congress to more evenly distribute the economic benefit of geothermal leases on public lands. Under the plan, if adopted by Congress, federal, state and local governments would each receive one-third of geothermal lease revenue. The revenue share would extend to other natural resource leases from public lands, such as solar and wind. The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 gave 100% of the revenue from geothermal leases on public land to the federal government. In 2005 the revenue was redistributed: 50% going to the host state, 25% to the host county, and 25% to the federal government. Then an amendment on the 2010 Interior Appropriations bill reverted the income back to the 1970 standard. Western senators sponsored an amendment that would return the economic benefits back to the 2005 divisions.