---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 15873"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "15873"
heading: "Deposit and use of geothermal lease revenues for 5 fiscal years"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/15873"
units:
  - "Chapter 149 — National Energy Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter II — Renewable Energy"
  - "Part B — Geothermal Energy"
---

# §15873. Deposit and use of geothermal lease revenues for 5 fiscal years

- (a) **Deposit of geothermal resources leases—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law, amounts received by the United States in the first 5 fiscal years beginning after August 8, 2005, as rentals, royalties, and other payments required under leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [[30 U.S.C. 1001](/usc/30/1001.md) et seq.], excluding funds required to be paid to [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2) and county governments, shall be deposited into a separate account in the Treasury.
- (b) **Use of deposits—** Amounts deposited under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be available to the [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) of the Interior for expenditure, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, to implement the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [[30 U.S.C. 1001](/usc/30/1001.md) et seq.] and this Act.
- (c) **Transfer of funds—** For the purposes of coordination and processing of geothermal leases and geothermal use authorizations on Federal land the [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) of the Interior may authorize the expenditure or transfer of such funds as are necessary to the Forest Service.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–58, title II, § 234, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 671.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is Pub. L. 91–581, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1566, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§ 1001 et seq.) of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1001 of Title 30 and Tables.

This Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 109–58, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 594, known as the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which enacted this chapter and enacted, amended, and repealed numerous other sections and notes in the Code. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 15801 of this title and Tables.