Geothermal Energy
The BLM has the delegated authority for leasing on more than 245 million acres of public lands (including 104 million acres of National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service) with geothermal potential in 11 western States and Alaska. The BLM presently manages 826 geothermal leases, with 59 leases in producing status generating about 1,300 megawatts of installed geothermal energy on public lands. This amounts to over 40 percent of U.S. geothermal energy capacity and supplies the electrical needs of about 1.3 million homes.
In May 2007, the Department of the Interior published final regulations on geothermal energy production on public lands requiring more competitive leasing, offering simplified royalty calculations, and sharing $4 million per year in current royalties with counties where production occurs.
A Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) relating to the authorization of geothermal leasing was completed in October 2008 and the Record of Decision was signed in December 2008. The Record of Decision amended 114 Bureau of Land Management resource management plans and allocated about 111 million acres of Bureau-managed public lands as open for leasing. An additional 79 million acres of National Forest System lands are also legally open for leasing. The programmatic EIS estimates a potential for 5,540 megawatts (MW) of new electric generation capacity from 111 new geothermal power plants in 12 Western States, including Alaska, by 2015. It estimates an additional 6,600 MW from another 133 plants by 2025.
Fact sheet: Renewable Energy and the BLM: GEOTHERMAL (pdf)
Geothermal Leasing and Operations on Federal Lands
Geothermal regulations published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2007 became effective on June 1, 2007. To read or download them, click here.
The BLM has held 13 competitive lease sales under the new regulations.
- June 20, 2007 - 8 parcels leased in Utah and Idaho; $9.4 million total revenue
- August 14, 2007 - 49 parcels leased in California and Nevada; $19.7 million total revenue
- August 6, 2008 - 35 parcels leased in Nevada; $28.2 million total revenue
- December 19, 2008 - 44 parcels leased in Utah; $5.7 million total revenue
- July 14, 2009 - 98 parcels leased (82 in Nevada, 15 in California, 1 in Utah); $9.1 million total revenue
- November 17, 2009 - 3 parcels leased in Utah; $209,257 total revenue
- February 23, 2010 - 17 parcels leased in Utah ($335,393 in revenue); 4 parcels leased in Idaho ($42,956 in revenue).
- May 11, 2010 - 75 parcels leased in Nevada; $2.8 million total revenue.
- November 10, 2010 - 1 parcel leased in Colorado; $31,345 in total revenue.
- March 22, 2011 - 17 parcels leased in Nevada; $456,353 in total revenue.
- May 24, 2011 - 8 parcels leased in Idaho; over $53,000 in total revenue.
- January 24, 2012 - 8 parcels leased in Nevada; $112,540 in total revenue.
- February 9, 2012 - 2 parcels leased in Colorado; $16,707 in total revenue.
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