---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 9123"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "9123"
heading: "Relinquishment or surrender of license"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/9123"
units:
  - "Chapter 99 — Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion"
  - "Subchapter I — Regulation of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Facilities and Plantships"
---

# §9123. Relinquishment or surrender of license

- (a) **Relinquishment or surrender authority; continuation of liability—** Any [licensee](/usc/42/9102.md?p=10) may at any time, without penalty, surrender to the [Administrator](/usc/42/9102.md?p=2) a license issued to him, or relinquish to the [Administrator](/usc/42/9102.md?p=2), in whole or in part, any right to conduct [construction](/usc/42/9102.md?p=6) or operation of an [ocean thermal energy conversion facility](/usc/42/9102.md?p=11) or [plantship](/usc/42/9102.md?p=13), including part or all of any right of way which may have been granted in conjunction with such license: Provided, That such surrender or relinquishment shall not relieve the [licensee](/usc/42/9102.md?p=10) of any obligation or liability established by this chapter, or any other Act, or of any obligation or liability for actions taken by him prior to such surrender or relinquishment, or during [disposal](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=7) or removal of any components required to be disposed of or removed pursuant to this chapter.
- (b) **Transfer of right of way—** If part or all of a right of way which is relinquished, or for which the license is surrendered, to the [Administrator](/usc/42/9102.md?p=2) pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) of this section contains an electric transmission cable or pipeline which is used in conjunction with another license for an [ocean thermal energy conversion facility](/usc/42/9102.md?p=11), the [Administrator](/usc/42/9102.md?p=2) shall allow the other [licensee](/usc/42/9102.md?p=10) an opportunity to add such right of way to his license before informing the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of the Interior that the right of way has been vacated.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–320, title I, § 113, Aug. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 989.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–320, Aug. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 974, known as the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act of 1980, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9101 of this title and Tables.