RENO — The Bureau of Land Management is holding a competitive geothermal lease sale on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The agency will offer for lease 79 parcels totaling 232,517.810 acres in Churchill, Esmeralda, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, and Pershing counties Nevada.
The sale will be held online at www.energynet.com.
This geothermal sale supports the Biden-Harris Administration’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.
“Offering parcels for lease is one of the first steps in the development of geothermal energy on public lands,” said Justin Abernathy, BLM Nevada Deputy State Director of Energy and Minerals.
“This lease sale includes parcels that were nominated by members of the geothermal industry and subjected to strict environmental and public review processes. Any future proposals to develop geothermal resources from the leased lands would involve additional environmental review.”
The BLM issues geothermal leases for an initial 10-year primary term. The leases are a contract to explore and develop any potential geothermal resource. The leases may earn an extension if the lessee establishes production or provides proof of diligent exploration; otherwise, the leases expire at the conclusion of their 10-year primary terms.
Additional environmental review will take place during processing of any future exploration or development plans. Any necessary site-specific conditions may be placed on permits in addition to the stipulations already attached to the lease at the time of sale.
The open bidding period will begin at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
Each parcel will have its own unique open bidding period, with start and stop times clearly identified on the auction website. The open bidding period for each parcel will run for one hour from start to finish, and bids will only be accepted during a parcel’s open bidding period.
Parcels may be viewed online at the BLM eplanning website now, and at the EnergyNet website approximately 10 business days after the posting of this sale notice on the BLM website.
The sale results will be posted on the www.energynet.com website and the BLM Nevada State Office website https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/renewable-energy/geothermal-energy/regional-information/nevada. Paper copies are available for purchase at the BLM Nevada State Office Information Access Center.
The next geothermal lease sale is tentatively scheduled for fall 2023.