HI SCR158

Requests the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to provide greater transparency in allocating geothermal royalties and demonstrate how benefits accrue to communities where geothermal resources are located

Directs DLNR to establish a temporary advisory board to make recommendations for expending geothermal royalties and to use royalty funds to identify promising geothermal sites and further develop geothermal resources

Requests the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to commission a study on the economic impact of various oil prices and collaborate with DLNR to review the geothermal permitting process, regulatory capabilities, and investment incentives

Requires DLNR and DBEDT to report to the Legislature on actions taken to implement recommendations from a task force established under Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 99 from 2010

Recognizes geothermal resources as valuable indigenous resources important for finding alternatives to fossil fuels and encourages interagency collaboration to clarify permitting and regulatory processes