SUBCHAPTER II—LOAN GUARANTIES
§1141. Establishment of loan guaranty program
(a) Congressional declaration of policy
It is the policy of the Congress to encourage and assist in the commercial development of practicable means to produce useful energy from geothermal resources with environmentally acceptable processes. Accordingly, it is the policy of the Congress to facilitate such commercial development by authorizing the Chairman of the Project to designate an appropriate Federal agency to guarantee loans for such purposes.
(b) Authorization of heads of designated agencies to guarantee loans
In order to encourage the commercial production of energy from geothermal resources, the head of the designated agency is authorized to, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, guarantee, and to enter into commitments to guarantee, lenders against loss of principal or interest on loans made by such lenders to qualified borrowers for the purposes of—
(1) the determination and evaluation of the resource base;
(2) research and development with respect to extraction and utilization technologies;
(3) acquiring rights in geothermal resources;
(4) development, construction, and operation of facilities for the demonstration or commercial production of energy using geothermal resources; or
(5) construction and operation of a new commercial, agricultural, or industrial structure or facility or modification and operation of an existing commercial, agricultural, or industrial structure or facility, when geothermal hot water or steam is to be used within or by such structure or facility, or modification thereto, for the purposes of space heating or cooling, industrial or agricultural processes, onsite generation of electricity for use other than for sale or resale in commerce, other commercial applications, or combinations of applications separately eligible under this subchapter for loan guarantee assistance.
(c) Extent of guarantee
Any guaranty under this subchapter shall apply only to so much of the principal amount of any loan as does not exceed 75 percent of the aggregate cost of the project with respect to which the loan is made, except that any guarantee made for a loan to an electric, housing, or other cooperative, or to a municipality (as defined in
(d) Terms and conditions of guaranties
Loan guaranties under this subchapter shall be on such terms and conditions as the head of the designated agency determines, except that a guaranty shall be made under this subchapter only if—
(1) the loan bears interest at a rate not to exceed such annual per centum on the principal obligation outstanding as the head of the designated agency determines to be reasonable, taking into account the range of interest rates prevailing in the private sector for similar loans and risks by the United States;
(2) the terms of such loan require full repayment over a period not to exceed thirty years, or the useful life of any physical asset to be financed by such loan, whichever is less (as determined by the head of the designated agency);
(3) in the judgment of the head of the designated agency, the amount of the loan (when combined with amounts available to the qualified borrower from other sources) will be sufficient to carry out the project; and
(4) in the judgment of the head of the designated agency, there is reasonable assurance of repayment of the loan by the qualified borrower of the guaranteed indebtedness.
(e) Limitations on amount of guaranty; exceptions; procedures applicable
The amount of the guaranty for any loan for a project shall not exceed $100,000,000: Provided, That in the case of a guaranty under subsection (b)(5), the amount of the guaranty for any loan for a project shall not exceed $50,000,000 and the amount of the guaranty for any combination of loans for any single qualified borrower shall not exceed $200,000,000, unless the Secretary of Energy determines in writing that a guaranty in excess of these amounts is in the national interest. Any such determination shall be submitted to the Speaker of the House and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and to the President of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, accompanied by a full and complete report on the proposed project and guaranty. The proposed guaranty or commitment to guarantee shall not be finalized under authority granted by this chapter prior to the expiration of thirty calendar days (not including any date on which either House of Congress is not in session) from the date on which such report is received by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.
(f) "Qualified borrower" defined
As used in this subchapter, the term "qualified borrower" means any public or private agency, institution, association, partnership, corporation, political subdivision, or other legal entity which (as determined by the head of the designated agency) has presented satisfactory evidence of an interest in geothermal resources and is capable of performing research or completing the development and production of energy in an acceptable manner.
(g) Payment of interest; criteria
With respect to any guaranty which is issued after February 25, 1978, by, or in behalf of, any State, political subdivision, or Indian tribe and which is either guaranteed under, or supported by taxes levied by said issuer which are guaranteed under this subchapter and for which the interest paid on such obligation and received by the purchaser thereof is included in gross income for the purposes of
(h) Pledge of full faith and credit of United States to guaranties
The full faith and credit of the United States is pledged to the payment of all guaranties issued under this subchapter with respect to principal and interest.
(i) Fees for guaranties; amount, collection, etc.
The Secretary of Energy shall charge and collect fees for guaranties in amounts sufficient in his judgment to cover applicable administrative costs and probable losses on guaranteed obligations, but in any event not to exceed 1 per centum per annum of the outstanding indebtedness covered by each guaranty. Fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the fund established by this subchapter.
(j) Minimization of capital market impact of guaranties
The Secretary of the Treasury shall insure to the maximum extent feasible that the timing, interest rate, and substantial terms and conditions of any guaranty exceeding $25,000,000 will have the minimum possible impact on the capital markets of the United States, taking into account other Federal direct and indirect commercial securities activities.
(
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (e).
1986—Subsec. (g).
1980—Subsec. (c).
1978—Subsec. (b)(4).
Subsec. (b)(5).
Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (e).
Subsecs. (g) to (j).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
"Secretary of Energy" substituted for "Administrator" (meaning Administrator of Energy Research and Development Administration, see section 501(2) of
§1142. Payment of guaranteed obligation by Secretary of Energy
(a) Default by borrower and demand by holder of obligation of unpaid amount; amount of payment by Secretary of Energy; defenses available; forebearance by holder of obligation
If there is a default by the borrower, as defined in regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Energy and set forth in the guarantee contract, the holder of the obligation shall have the right to demand payment of the unpaid amount from the Secretary of Energy. Within such period as may be specified in the guarantee or related agreements, the Secretary of Energy shall pay to the holder of the obligation the unpaid interest on, and unpaid principal of the guaranteed obligation as to which the borrower has defaulted, unless the Secretary of Energy finds that there was no default by the borrower in the payment of interest or principal or that such default has been remedied. Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude any forebearance by the holder of the obligation for the benefit of the borrower which may be agreed upon by the parties to the guaranteed obligation and approved by the Secretary of Energy.
(b) Rights and authorities of Secretary of Energy upon payment
If the Secretary of Energy makes a payment under subsection (a) of this subsection,1 the Secretary of Energy shall be subrogated to the rights of the recipient of such payment as specified in the guarantee or related agreements including, where appropriate, the authority (notwithstanding any other provision of law) to complete, maintain, operate, lease, or otherwise dispose of any property acquired pursuant to such guarantee or related agreements, or to permit the borrower, pursuant to an agreement with the Secretary of Energy, to continue to pursue the purposes of the project if the Secretary of Energy determines this to be in the public interest. The rights of the Secretary of Energy with respect to any property acquired pursuant to such guarantee or related agreements, shall be superior to the rights of any other person with respect to such property.
(c) Rights and authorities of Attorney General upon default on any guarantee
In the event of a default on any guarantee under this subchapter, the Secretary of Energy shall notify the Attorney General, who shall take such action as may be appropriate to recover the amounts of any payments made under subsection (a), including any payment of principal and interest under subsection (d), from such assets of the defaulting borrower as are associated with the project, or from any other security included in the terms of the guarantee.
(d) Contracts to pay, and payment, from Geothermal Resources Development Fund of principal and interest of unpaid balance of obligation; preconditions
With respect to any obligation guaranteed under this subchapter, the Secretary of Energy is authorized to enter into a contract to pay, and to pay, holders of the obligation, for and on behalf of the borrower, from the Geothermal Resources Development Fund, the principal and interest payments which become due and payable on the unpaid balance of such obligation if the Secretary of Energy finds that—
(1) the borrower is unable to meet such payments and is not in default; it is in the public interest to permit the borrower to continue to pursue the purposes of such project; and the probable net benefit to the Federal Government in paying such principal and interest will be greater than that which would result in the event of a default;
(2) the amount of such payment which the Secretary of Energy is authorized to pay shall be no greater than the amount of principal and interest which the borrower is obligated to pay under the loan agreement; and
(3) the borrower agrees to reimburse the Secretary of Energy for such payment on terms and conditions, including interest, which are satisfactory to the Secretary of Energy.
(
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1978—Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b).
Subsecs. (c), (d).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
"Secretary of Energy" substituted in text for "Administrator" (meaning Administrator of Energy Research and Development Administration, see section 501(2) of
1 So in original. Probably should be "this section,".
§1143. Period of guaranties and interest assistance
No loan guaranties shall be made, or interest assistance contract entered into, pursuant to this subchapter, after the expiration of fiscal year 1993.
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Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—
1980—
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
Amendment by
§1144. Geothermal Resources Development Fund
(a) Establishment; purposes for which Fund moneys may be expended
There is established in the Treasury of the United States a Geothermal Resources Development Fund, which shall be available to the head of the designated agency for carrying out the loan guaranty and interest assistance program authorized by this subchapter, including the payment of administrative expenses incurred in connection therewith. Moneys in the fund not needed for current operations may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, be invested in bonds or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, the United States.
(b) Deposits into the Fund
There shall be paid into the fund the amounts appropriated pursuant to
(c) Borrowing authority of Secretary of Energy
If at any time the moneys available in the fund are insufficient to enable the Secretary of Energy to discharge his responsibilities under this subchapter, he shall issue to the Secretary of the Treasury notes or other obligations in such forms and denominations bearing such maturities, and subject to such terms and conditions, as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. This borrowing authority shall be effective only to such extent or in such amounts as are specified in appropriation Acts. Such authorizations may be without fiscal year limitations. Redemption of such notes or obligations shall be made by the Secretary of Energy from appropriations or other moneys available under this section. Such notes or other obligations shall bear interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, which shall not be less than a rate determined by taking into consideration the average market yield on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturities during the month preceding the issuance of the notes or other obligations. The Secretary of the Treasury shall purchase any notes or other obligations issued hereunder and for that purpose he is authorized to use as a public debt transaction the proceeds from the sale of any securities issued under
(d) Omitted
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
In subsec. (c), "
Subsec. (d) of this section, which required the head of the designated agency to submit annual reports to Congress on the operations of the fund, terminated, effective May 15, 2000, pursuant to section 3003 of
Amendments
1978—Subsecs. (c), (d).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
"Secretary of Energy" substituted in subsec. (c) for "Administrator" (meaning Administrator of Energy Research and Development Administration, see section 501(2) of
§1145. Community impact assistance functions of Secretary of Energy
(a) Determination of adequacy of community planning and development financing in covered project localities; review of State and local actions and sufficiency of available financing for projects on leased Federal lands
The Secretary of Energy, for any project which has a guarantee under this subchapter of not less than $50,000,000 and which will have an intended operating life of not less than five years to satisfy the purposes under this subchapter for which the guarantee has been made, shall endeavor to insure that, taking into consideration appropriate local community action and all reasonably available forms of assistance under this section and other Federal and State statutes, that 1 the impacts resulting from the proposed project have been fully evaluated by the borrower, the Secretary of Energy, and the Governor of the affected State, and that effective steps have been taken or will be taken in a timely manner to finance community planning and development costs resulting from such project under this section, if applicable under other provisions of law, or by other means. When the project will be located on leased Federal lands, the Secretary of Energy shall specifically review State and local actions under section 9(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act Amendments of 1976 (
(b) Discretionary activities for communities with projects not subject to coverage
The Secretary of Energy, for projects not included under subsection (a), may in his discretion consider the community impacts which may result from such projects, and may take such actions, under authority directly available to him under other statutes or in coordination with other Federal agencies or the State, as he considers necessary and appropriate to insure timely and effective planning and financing for such community impacts.
(c) Guarantees, commitments to guarantee, direct loans, and grants; scope, terms and conditions, amount, etc.
(1) In order to discharge his responsibilities under subsection (a), and in accordance with such rules and regulations as the Secretary of Energy in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe, and subject to such terms and conditions as he deems appropriate, the Secretary of Energy is authorized, for the purposes of financing essential community development and planning which directly result from, or are necessitated by, a project under subsection (a), to—
(A) guarantee and make commitments to guarantee the payment of interest on, and the principal balance of, obligations for such financing issued by eligible States, political subdivisions, or Indian tribes,
(B) guarantee and make commitments to guarantee the payment of taxes imposed on such project by eligible non-Federal taxing authorities which taxes are earmarked by such authorities to support the payment of interest and principal on obligations for such financing, and
(C) require that the qualified borrower receiving assistance for a project under this section advance sums to eligible States, political subdivisions, and Indian tribes to pay for the financing of such development and planning: Provided, That the State, political subdivision, or Indian tribe agrees to provide tax abatement credits over the life of the project for such payments by such applicant.
(2) No guarantee or commitment to guarantee under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall exceed $1,000,000.
(3) In the event of any default by the borrower in the payment of taxes guaranteed by the Secretary of Energy under this section, the Secretary of Energy shall pay out of the fund established by this subchapter such taxes at the time or times they may fall due, and shall have by reason of such payment a claim against the borrower for all sums paid plus interest.
(4) If after consultation with 2 State, political subdivision, or Indian tribe, the Secretary of Energy finds that the financial assistance programs of paragraph (1) of this section 3 will not result in sufficient funds to carry out the purposes of this subsection, then the Secretary of Energy may—
(A) make direct loans to the eligible States, political subdivisions, or Indian tribes for such purposes: Provided, That such loans shall be made on such reasonable terms and conditions as the Secretary of Energy shall prescribe: Provided further, That the Secretary of Energy may waive repayment of all or part of a loan made under this paragraph, including interest, if the State or political subdivision or Indian tribe involved demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Energy that due to a change in circumstances there will be net adverse impacts resulting from such project that would probably cause such State, subdivision, or tribe to default on the loan; or
(B) require that any community development and planning costs which are associated with, or result from, such project, and which are determined by the Secretary of Energy to be appropriate for such inclusion, shall be included in the aggregate costs of the project.
(5) The Secretary of Energy is further authorized to make grants to States, political subdivisions, or Indian tribes for studying and planning for the potential economic, environmental, and social consequences of projects and for establishing related management expertise.
(6) At any time the Secretary of Energy may, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, redeem, in whole or in part, out of the fund established by this section, the debt obligations guaranteed or the debt obligations for which tax payments are guaranteed under this subsection.
(7) When one or more States, political subdivisions, or Indian tribes would be eligible for assistance under this subsection, but for the fact that construction and operation of the project occurs outside its jurisdiction, the Secretary of Energy is authorized to provide, to the greatest extent possible, arrangements for equitable sharing of such assistance.
(8) Such amounts as may be necessary for direct loans and grants pursuant to this subsection shall be available as provided in annual authorization Acts.
(9) The Secretary of Energy, if appropriate, shall provide assistance in the financing of up to 100 per centum of the costs of the required community development and planning pursuant to this section.
(10) In carrying out the provisions of this section, the Secretary of Energy shall provide that title to any facility receiving financial assistance under this section shall vest in the applicable State, political subdivision, or Indian tribe, as appropriate, and in the case of default by the borrower on a loan guarantee made or committed under subsection (b) of this section, such facility shall not be considered a project asset for the purposes of
(11) The Secretary of Energy shall not use his authority under this subsection to provide Federal assistance unless any Federal funds transferred pursuant to section 9(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act Amendments of 1976 (
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Section 9(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act Amendments of 1976 (
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
"Secretary of Energy" substituted in text for "Administrator" (meaning Administrator of Energy Research and Development Administration, see section 501(2) of
1 So in original. The second "that" appearing in this sentence probably should not appear.
2 So in original. Probably should be followed by "the".
3 So in original. Probably should be "subsection".
§1146. Approval or disapproval of loan guarantee applications
The Secretary, within sixty days after June 30, 1980, shall establish and implement procedures providing for a final decision on any loan guarantee application within four months of the date of filing. To the maximum extent practical, an applicant should be advised (prior to the submission of the application) of all information which will be required of the applicant in processing the application; and the date of filing shall be considered to be the date when all of such information has been submitted by the applicant. Any application proposed and filed as of June 30, 1980, shall be subject to final decision within not more than four months after such date.
(
§1147. Application of national environmental policy provisions
The Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that any action undertaken pursuant to
(