BLM will hold geothermal lease sale in Southwest
Organization
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SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Land Management will offer 11 geothermal lease sale parcels, totaling approximately 32,527 acres, at a geothermal lease sale on April 12, 2022. These parcels are located in Beaver and Millard counties on public lands managed by the BLM’s Cedar City and Fillmore field offices.
The Notice of Competitive Lease Sale, maps of the parcels, attached stipulations from the respective BLM resource management plans, and the Determination of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Adequacy on the NEPA Register will be available starting the week of Feb. 21, 2022, on the ePlanning website at https://bit.ly/34eBov6.
This geothermal sale supports President Biden’s goal of creating a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, and to permit at least 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands by 2025. The BLM works in coordination with experts to expand development of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal where appropriate on public lands. Additionally, the Bureau’s goal is to ensure that its energy portfolio serves the public interest and helps restore balance on America’s public lands for the benefit of current and future generations.
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 our clean energy goals, the BLM provides sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands and new transmission routes to connect into the grid. These efforts to deploy renewable energy from our nation’s public lands support 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.
Background
Geothermal was the first renewable energy that the BLM approved for production on public lands, with the first geothermal project approved in 1978 and with current geothermal electricity generated here in Utah at several locations. Replenished by heat sources deep in the Earth, geothermal energy is a renewable resource that generates electricity with minimal carbon emissions up to 24 hours per day. 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 USDA Forest Service lands). Today there are 48 operating power plants developing geothermal energy from BLM-managed lands, with a combined total of more than 2.5 gigawatts of generation capacity.
The BLM issues geothermal leases for a 10-year period. For each parcel, the bid, rental receipts, and subsequent royalties are disbursed with 50 percent of the funds distributed to the respective state, an additional 25% disbursed to the respective county, and 25 percent that remains in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The BLM manages public lands for many uses, including sustainable energy development. In addition, each issued 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.