BLM NEWS RELEASE
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada generated $28,982 during its competitive geothermal lease sale held in Reno on Jan. 29, selling five parcels, two in Churchill County, two in Humboldt County and one in Pershing County, that comprised 7,056 acres. The high sale bid on each of the five parcels was $2 per acre. Four of the parcels were sold to Ormat Nevada Inc ., and one was sold to Colorado-based Presco Energy, LLC.
Geothermal leases are issued for a 10-year primary term. Annual rental for a competitive lease is $2 per acre for the first year, and $3 per acre for lease years 2 through 10. Annual rental for a noncompetitive lease is $1 per acre for lease years 1-10. Additional environmental analysis would need to be conducted to receive permits to drill or build a facility to develop the energy from the geothermal source.
The BLM offered 7 parcels totaling 10,024 acres. A complete summary of the parcels offered and the winning bids is available online at: www.blm.gov/nv.
The BLM Nevada is accepting land nominations until April 12 for parcels to be included in the next geothermal sale, which is tentatively scheduled for November 19, 2013. The BLM reviews nominated parcels for availability, environmental and cultural concerns prior to being placed on the sale list.
