(a) General. Pursuant to Section 25540.5 of the Public Resources Code, the commission is permitted to delegate its siting authority over geothermal power plants and related facilities to county governments which have adopted geothermal elements to their general plans.

(b) Policy. It is the policy of the California Energy Commission to delegate its geothermal power plant siting authority to county governments which have demonstrated a capability to expeditiously process applications for geothermal power plants and/or geothermal field development projects, provided, however, that such county governments have formally adopted policies which are consistent with adopted policies of the commission with respect to the development of geothermal resources for the generation of electrical energy.

(c) Purposes. Delegation of the commission's geothermal power plant siting authority to county governments will maximize local control over development projects whose impacts are peculiarly local. The provisions of this article will ensure that local exercise of such control will occur in a manner that is consistent with the state's interests in a reliable supply of electrical energy and environmental maintenance. Further, a delegation pursuant to this article will vest permitting authority over both the geothermal field and the geothermal power plant in a single agency, thus allowing a consolidated review of all aspects of a geothermal project.