BLM to hold November Geothermal Lease Sale in Nevada
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RENO, Nev. — The Bureau of Land Management today announced it would hold a competitive geothermal lease sale on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, offering 45 parcels totaling about 135,067 acres across Churchill, Esmeralda, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, White Pine, and Washoe counties in Nevada. The sale will be held online at www.energynet.com.
“Nevada has some of the best geothermal resources in the country, and BLM is proud to offer additional public land for responsible geothermal development in the state,” said Justin Abernathy, BLM Nevada Deputy State Director of Energy and Minerals. “BLM has undertaken a rigorous environmental review of these parcels, including receiving input from the public, and we’re confident these are appropriate locations for the development of new clean energy for the benefit of current and future generations.”
The open bidding period will begin at 8 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Each parcel will have its own unique open bidding period, with start and stop times specified on the auction website. The open bidding period for each parcel will run for one hour. Parcel lists and additional information are available online at the BLM National NEPA Register (Battle Mountain District parcels, Carson City District parcels, Elko District parcels and Winnemucca District parcels), or at the EnergyNet website approximately 10 business days after the posting of this sale notice. Paper copies of the parcel list are available for purchase at the BLM Nevada State Office in Reno. The next Nevada statewide geothermal lease sale is tentatively scheduled for October 2024.
The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio. To promote the development of these energy sources, the BLM provides sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands. The efficient deployment of renewable energy from our nation’s public lands is crucial in achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, as well as Congress’ direction in the Energy Act of 2020 to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands no later than 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 leasing on approximately 245 million acres of public lands, including 104 million acres of U.S. Forest Service lands. Geothermal energy can also be used to heat buildings, operate greenhouses and support aquaculture operations.
BLM-issued geothermal leases are for a 10-year period. For each parcel, 50 percent of the bid, rental receipts and subsequent royalties are disbursed to the respective state, an additional 25 percent is disbursed to the respective county, and 25 percent remains in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Each lease contains standard stipulations to protect endangered species and cultural resources and ensures that development is safe and environmentally responsible. After parcels are leased, lessees must submit site-specific proposals for additional in-depth analysis before energy development can begin.
The BLM manages more than 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.