SANTA FE, N.M. –The Bureau of Land Management today held a competitive geothermal lease sale, offering seven parcels totaling 4,468 acres in Doña Ana County. All seven parcels sold for $66,493.
The Notice of Competitive Lease Sale and proposed lease stipulations are available at the BLM National NEPA Register.
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.
The BLM has approved 42 renewable energy projects on public lands (10 solar, 14 geothermal, and 18 gen-ties) and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. The BLM has permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of more than 32 gigawatts of power – enough to power more than 15 million homes. This year BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, create jobs, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.
