The county is somewhat cut off from other areas by geographic barriers of moun'" tains and desert, by state and natural boundaries, and is the most remote of all 58 counties of California from the state capitol, Sacra­ mento.

1. An Integrated Assessment Model for Public Policy Alternatives, Priorities, and Outcomes in Geothermal Environments.- An Orientation to Imperial County.- County Demographic and Employment Features.- The Research Model.- Functions of the Model.- Methodology.- Research Conclusions, Recommendations: Public Policy Alternatives, Priorities, and Outcomes.- Imperial County Research Prospective.- The Imperial County Plan.- Scope of Planning and of Energy Planning in Imperial County.- Acknowledgment and Comment.- 2. Geothermal Energy in Imperial County, California.- Geothermal Resources.- Use of Geothermal Resources.- Geothermal Resources in Imperial County.- Conclusion.- Acknowledgment.- 3. Population—Economic Data Analyses Relative to Geothermal Fields, Imperial County, California.- Population Analysis of Imperial County.- Migration.- Energy Capacity and Consumption in Imperial County.- Population Composition and Change.- Population Economics.- Housing and Transportation.- Regional Socioeconomic Comparisons.- Migration and Income Characteristics.- Discriminant Analyses of Geothermal Areas.- Applications to Geothermal Energy Development.- Spanish-American Population of Imperial County.- Resident SAs.- Illegal Mexican Aliens.- The MA Population and Geothermal Energy Development.- Acknowledgment.- 4. Regional Employment Implications for Geothermal Energy Development in Imperial County, California.- Acknowledgment.- 5. Projected Population, Growth, and Displacement from Geothermal Development.- Farm Labor Force Reduction Based on Land Area Analysis.- Farm Labor Reduction.- Historical Migration and Age Structure.- Population Projections.- Transferability of Methods and Results.- 6. Public Opinion about Geothermal Development.- Methodology.- Public Opinion about GeothermalDevelopment in Imperial County: 1976.- Understanding of Geothermal Development.- Adequacy of Information about Geothermal Development.- Regulation of Geothermal Development.- Foreseeing Problems Arising Out of Geothermal Development.- Land Ownership and Opinion about Geothermal Development.- Rural Land Ownership.- Public Opinion in the Heber Area.- Conclusions and Recommendations.- Acknowledgment.- 7. Leadership, Community Decisions, and Geothermal Energy Development: Imperial County, California.- The Power Structure in Imperial County.- Leadership Opinion and Reaction to Geothermal Development.- A Comparison of Leadership Opinion and Public Opinion of Geothermal Resource Development.- The Efffect of Geothermal Resource Development on the Power Structure in Imperial County.- Conclusions.- Acknowledgment.- 8. Geothermal Development. Update.- Beginnings of Geothermal Impact on County Population and Leadership.- Electrical Use Developments.- Direct Use Developments.- Regulatory Permitting Process in the County.- Limiting Factors on Geothermal Development.- Conclusions.- 9. Research Conclusions and Policy Recommendations about Geothermal Development.- Major Research Conclusions.- Recommendations.- Implications of Research Oriented Planning to Imperial County and Other Counties.- Acknowledgment.- Appendix: Public Opinion Questionnaire.- References.- Author Index.