BLM New Mexico accepting nominations for geothermal development
SANTA FE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Office is now accepting nominations of lands for competitive geothermal leasing for the next geothermal lease sale that is tentatively scheduled for March 2026. All nominations must be received by Sept. 25, 2025.
Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that generates baseload electricity with minimal carbon emissions. It is an abundant resource, especially in the West, where the BLM has authority to manage geothermal resource leasing, exploration, and development on approximately 245 million surface acres of public lands and the 700 million acres where the United States owns the subsurface mineral estate.
Nominations are not automatically placed for sale when received, and the BLM cannot guarantee that the nominated lands will be included. The parcels must be reviewed for availability as well as environmental and cultural concerns prior to being made available for sale. Each nomination must be submitted with a nonrefundable filing fee of $145 per nomination plus $0.14 per acre of land nominated.
Land nominations must be submitted via Form 3203-1. Any future sale notice and results list offering nominated parcels will be posted on the BLM New Mexico Geothermal Energy website. Please refer to 43 CFR 3203 for nomination requirements regarding maximum acreage, acceptable land descriptions, and nominating parcels as a block.
For further information, please contact BLM Supervisory Land Law Examiner JulieAnn Serrano at (505) 954-2149 or [email protected].
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.