38-19-02. Definitions

38-19-02. Definitions As used in this chapter: 1. "Commission" means the industrial commission of North Dakota. 2. "Geothermal energy" means the internal energy of the earth, available to man as heat from rocks or liquids. 3. "Geothermal energy extraction facility" means and includes any drilled, bored, or excavated device or installation to provide for the extraction of geothermal energy. 4. "Geothermal resource" means the recoverable stored heat of the earth. 5. "Producer" means the owner of a geothermal energy extraction facility or facilities, and the owner's agents or employees. 6. "Product" means anything produced, whether usable or unusable, by means of a geothermal energy extraction facility. 7. "Waste" means and includes the locating, spacing, drilling, excavating, or operating of any geothermal energy extraction facility in a manner which causes or tends to cause reduction in the quantity or quality of geothermal energy ultimately recoverable from a geothermal resource, or which causes or tends to cause unnecessary or excessive use, or degradation, of land surface.