BLM New Mexico announces geothermal lease sale
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SANTA FE, N.M. – As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy on public lands by 2025 and to achieve 100% carbon pollution-free energy by 2035, the Bureau of Land Management will hold a virtual competitive geothermal lease sale on Nov. 18, 2021. The agency will offer three parcels for leases totaling 3,987.36 acres in Hidalgo and Sierra counties in New Mexico.
The lease sale will be held online at www.energynet.com, and the open bidding period will begin at 8 a.m. MST. 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 two hours from start to finish, and bids will only be accepted during a parcel’s open bidding period. Parcels may be viewed online at EnergyNet for approximately 10 business days from this notice.
This lease sale represents parcels that have cleared the National Environmental Policy Act process. The BLM issues both competitive and non-competitive leases for a 10-year period. The leases are a contract to explore and develop any potential geothermal resource, and may earn an extension if the lessee establishes production or provides proof of diligent exploration. Leases for mineral development provide important funds to states and local governments where the development occurs, as well as the Federal government. For geothermal leases, 50% of the funds are disbursed to the state, 25% to the respective county and 25% to the Department of the Treasury.
The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio. Responsible energy development includes consideration of parcels nominated for leasing as well as potential resource impacts for each parcel. Additional environmental review will take place during processing of an application for permit to drill, when site-specific conditions of approval will be placed on the permit in addition to the stipulations already attached to the lease at the time of sale. In coordination with experts, the BLM is diligently working to expand development of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal where appropriate on public lands.
The sale notice as well as the sale results will be posted on EnergyNet’s website and the BLM New Mexico’s website. Paper copies of the Sale Notice are available at the BLM New Mexico State Office’s public room at 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
For more information, please contact BLM Land Law Examiner Lauren Leib at 505-954-2234 or lleib@blm.gov.
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.