Utah State Office
| Contacts: | Megan Crandall | , 801-539-4061 |
BLM Utah Geothermal Lease Sale Results
SALT LAKE CITY—The Bureau of Land Management Utah held a competitive geothermal lease sale today at the BLM Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. Included in the sale were 17 parcels on BLM Utah lands and ten parcels on BLM Idaho lands. The BLM sold 17 of the Utah parcels on 60,320.319 acres of federal land in the Fillmore Field Office; and, 4 of the Idaho parcels on 10,592.740 acres of federal land. During the oral auction, BLM received $212,274.00 in bonus bids for the geothermal lease rights. In addition to the bonus bids, the sale netted $120,654.00 in rental fees and $2,465.00 administrative fees, for $335,393.00 in total revenues from this lease sale.
Ormat Nevada of Reno, Nevada, submitted the highest total bid per parcel and acre—$11 on parcel number 7 containing 5,094 acres in Fillmore Field Office. For additional Idaho-specific results please visit: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en.html.
Geothermal energy accounts for 8.5 percent of renewable electricity generation, and 0.3 percent of total U.S. electricity supply. Almost 50% 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 Bureau of Land Management administers 29 geothermal power plants, using federal resources in California, Nevada and Utah. The power plants have a total capacity of 1,250 megawatts and supply the needs of 1.2 million 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.
February 23, 2010 BLM Utah Geothermal Lease Sale Results Summary | |
Parcels Offered for Auction | 17 |
Parcels Sold | 17 |
% Parcels Sold | 100% |
Acres Offered | 60,320.319 |
Acres Sold | 60,320.319 |
% Acres Sold | 100% |
Average Bid/Acre Sold | $3.52 |
Average Bid/Parcel Sold | $3.52 |
Highest Bid/Acre: | $11.00 |
Parcel with High Bid/Acre: | 7 |
Highest Bid/Parcel: | $56,034.00 |
Parcel with High Total Bid | 7 |
Total Bonus Bid | $212,274.00 |
Total Rental Due | $120,654.00 |
Total Administrative Fees Due | $2,465.00 |
Total Receipts Due | $335,393.00 |
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, UT 84101