BLM NEWS RELEASE
CARSON CITY — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District-Stillwater Field Office has approved the Coyote Canyon Geothermal Utilization Project proposed by TGP Dixie Development Company, LLC, by issuing a Decision Record on the environmental assessment (EA) for the project. The Coyote Canyon project in the western portion of Dixie Valley, northeast of Fallon in Churchill County.
TGP proposes to construct a 70 megawatt geothermal power plant and associated production/injections wells, pipelines, and support facilities. Power generated by the plant will be delivered to an existing transmission line via a short tie-in line from the power plant.
The Coyote Canyon geothermal project is one of the BLM’s recently announced priority renewable energy projects. The priority renewable energy projects are “smart from the start” and will help diversify this country’s energy portfolio in an environmentally responsible manner according to the BLM Director Bob Abbey.
The EA evaluated the impacts on the natural and human environment that could result from implementation of this geothermal development project on federal land. The impact analysis in the EA characterized the potential for impacts for each resource in the project area. The determination of environmental risk is resource specific and is based on a number of factors, including the presence and extent of resources within the proposed lease section, the extent of resources in the surrounding area, and the quality of existing data.
The Proposed Action and Conditions of Approval meets the criteria described in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to prevent undue and unnecessary degradation of public land. The Proposed Action is in conformance with the Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan which states that the BLM desired outcome is to encourage development of energy and mineral resources in a timely manner to meet national, regional and local needs consistent with the objectives for other public land uses. The action must comply with the conditions of permit for the Nevada Division of Minerals Geothermal Resource Development Permit Application and with applicable rules and regulation of other local, state, and federal agencies.
The Decision Record, Finding of No Significant Impact, and EA are posted on-line at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field/blm_information/nepa/tgp_coyote_canyon.html
Further inquiries should be directed to Desna Young, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, 775-885-6000 or e-mail: [email protected].
