Tonopah Field Office
| Contacts: | Timothy Coward | , 775-482-7830 | , tcoward@blm.gov | |
| Kathy Lucich | , 775-352-1252 |
McGinness Hills Geothermal Energy Project Approved
Austin, Nev. – Two geothermal power plants recently approved by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service will generate enough clean, reliable electricity to power 65,000 Nevada households. The McGinness Hills Geothermal Project, 16 miles northeast of Austin, Nev., will provide an economic benefit to Lander County and help meet Nevada’s renewable energy goals. The geothermal project is expected to generate about 70 direct jobs, as well as 10 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. Construction is expected to begin in August.
On July 19, 2011, the BLM Battle Mountain District issued a Decision Record and Finding of No Significant Impact and on July 22, 2011 the Humboldt – Toiyabe National Forest issued a Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact for Ormat Technologies to develop the McGinness Hills Geothermal Energy Project.
The project includes construction and operation of two 45-megawatt binary, air-cooled geothermal power generating facilities; geothermal production and injection well pads and well access roads; geothermal production pipelines; domestic water wells at each power plant; microwave communication towers; and a nine-mile transmission line. The project will encompass 217 acres; 182 acres of BLM-managed public land, 10 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands, and 25 acres of private land.
“The BLM Battle Mountain District has worked cooperatively with Federal and State agencies and numerous stakeholders to process this application for development of a high priority renewable energy source,” said Doug Furtado, Battle Mountain District Manager. “The BLM will continue to work with sister agencies, proponents, and the public to meet the Administration’s commitment to developing alternative sources of energy and to do so in an environmentally responsible manner.”
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Tonopah Field Office 50 Bastian Road Battle Mountain, NV 89820