Utah State Office
| Contacts: | Megan Crandall | , 801-539-4061 |
BLM Utah Geothermal Lease Sale Results
Salt Lake City, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management Utah held its competitive geothermal lease sale today at the BLM Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. The BLM sold 3 parcels on 3,780 acres of federal land in the Cedar City Field Office. During the oral auction, BLM received $201,260 in bonus bids for the geothermal lease rights. In addition to the bonus bids, the sale netted $7,562 in rental fees and $435 in administrative fees, for $209,257 in total revenues from this lease sale.
Radion Energy LLC of Provo, Utah, submitted the highest total bid per acre—$75 on parcel number 3 containing 981 acres. The highest total bid per parcel was also submitted by Radion Energy LLC —$98,950 on parcel number 1 containing 1,979 acres.
Geothermal energy accounts for 8.5 percent of renewable electricity generation, and 0.3 percent of the total U.S. electricity supply. Almost 50 percent of the nation's production of geothermal energy is on federal land. Utah’s current geothermal production is in primarily in Beaver County where two plants produce 24 megawatts per year.
The BLM administers 29 geothermal power plants using federal resources in California, Nevada, and Utah. These power plants have a total capacity of 1,250 megawatts and meet the power needs of 1.2 million American homes. Geothermal energy uses steam and hot water generated by heat from the earth. Some geothermal power plants use steam or hot water from a natural underground reservoir to power generators for electricity generation. Others use hot water to provide direct heat for residential and other buildings, and for other applications. For more information, contact the BLM Utah Information Access Center at 539-4001 or go to www.ut.blm.gov.
November 17, 2009 BLM Utah Geothermal Lease Sale Results Summary |
Parcels Offered for Auction 3 |
Parcels Sold 3 |
% Parcels Sold 100% |
Acres Offered 3,780 |
Acres Sold 3,780 |
% Acres Sold 100% |
Average Bid/Acre Sold $53.24 |
Average Bid/Parcel Sold $67,087 |
Highest Bid/Acre: $75 |
Parcel with High Bid/Acre: 3 |
Highest Bid/Parcel: $98,950 |
Parcel with High Total Bid 1 |
Total Bonus Bid $201,260 |
Total Rental Due $7,562 |
Total Administrative Fees Due $435 |
Total Receipts Due* $209,257 |
*Totals include bonus bids, first year’s rental and processing fees.
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.
Utah State Office 440 West 200 South, Suite 500 Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155