The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District, Stillwater Field Office, has completed the final Environmental Assessment (EA) and issued a Decision Record for the Ormat Nevada, Incorporated Wild Rose Geothermal Project. The analyses included the construction and operation of an associated transmission line to bring electricity to market. The project is located in Gabbs Valley approximately 17 miles west of Gabbs, Nev., in Mineral County.
The proposed action includes the following four components:
- Drilling and testing of up to four exploration wells;
- Construction and operation of a 15- to 35-megawatt (MW) net rated (up to 40 MW gross) geothermal power plant facility and electrical substation;
- Construction and operation of geothermal production and injection wells, pipelines, access roads, and support facilities; and
- Construction and operation of a 120-kV generation-tie and switching station.
This EA analyzed the potential impacts from these activities, specifically, the proposed drilling and testing of four additional exploration wells, the proposed construction and operation of a geothermal power plant; drilling, testing, and operation of 18 geothermal production and injection wells; conversion of exploration wells to production or injection wells; construction and operation of pipelines to carry geothermal fluid between well fields and the power plant; and construction of a 120-kilovolt generation-tie and associated structures.
Exploration and development activities would be contained within two of the four federal geothermal leases of the Wild Rose Geothermal Unit. Three transmission line generation-tie options are also analyzed in this EA, all of which would occur completely on BLM-administered lands.
Links to the EA and related documents are located on the BLM website at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/ For further information please contact Angelica Rose at 775-885-6008.
