Balancing energy and the environment
Subtitle: the case of geothermal development
By: prepared for the Department of Energy ; Phyllis L. Ellickson, with Saundra Brewer and Kathleen Knight.
Contributors: Brewer, Saundra, 1936- joint author.; Knight, Kathleen, 1948- joint author.; United States. Dept. of Energy.
Series: [Report] - Rand Corporation ; R-2274-DOE
Publisher: Rand Corp.
Published: 1978
Place of publication: Santa Monica, CA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 152
Subjects: Geothermal engineering -- Environmental aspects -- California -- Case studies.; Energy policy -- Environmental aspects -- United States.
Description: This study asks what the Department of Energy's role might be in resolving environmental issues that arise during the implementation of energy projects--a time when the most serious environmental objections often surface and when many federal programs encounter difficulty. Options for federal involvement range from indirect to direct on the following scale: no role, disseminating information, providing funds, facilitating cooperative endeavors, conducting studies, and mediating disputes. Direct involvement faces two major constraints: the need to understand the local context and the need to adapt to changing conditions and practices over time. This analysis of the steam resource development at the Geysers (Lake and Sonoma counties) in northern California and the wet brine development at the Imperial Valley in Southern California suggests that direct federal involvement is unlikely to facilitate a successful resolution of issues in the absence of local demand for federal action.
Notes: Bibliography: p. 147-152.