Agreement ends public dispute, lawsuit
The Burning Man Project and Ormat Technologies have struck a deal that will advance renewable energy at Black Rock Desert while supporting conservation efforts and benefiting the Gerlach community. That’s according to a statement Burning Man issued to the news media on Tuesday.
“Under the agreement, Burning Man will purchase Ormat’s geothermal leases for a proposed exploration project in the immediate vicinity of the Black Rock Desert – High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, and Ormat will support Burning Man’s efforts to convert these leases into a conservation zone supporting sustainable habitat and local tourism,” Burning Man spokesperson Leslie Moyer said.
“We understand the importance of tourism and conservation in the Black Rock Desert to Gerlach’s economic health.”
The agreement allows Ormat to move forward with geothermal development outside the designated conservation area, including expanding its North Valley Geothermal Power Plant near Gerlach.
Washoe County commissioners denied in 2023 a permit to drill test wells for geothermal exploration. Burning Man opposed the test wells, and the two entities sparred in the news media and at public meetings.
Burning Man sued the Bureau of Land Management over the matter.
“After participating in the public process and seeing no movement on our concerns, we filed this lawsuit to help ensure the impacts from the proposed project are minimized, and that Ormat is a good corporate citizen in this environmentally sensitive, economically vulnerable area of northern Nevada,” Burning Man’s attorney Adam Belsky said in January of 2023.
Ormat at the time called Burning Man hypocritical.
“Instead of prioritizing these goals, the Burning Man Project has chosen to expend its resources on a lawsuit at odds with their simultaneous promotion of a permanent off-grid community that would itself forever change the town character,” Ormat officials said in January 2023. “Ormat is confident that BLM’s comprehensive review process and approval will be upheld in the litigation.”
Months later, the county commissioners denied Ormat’s permits for test wells. Ormat employees blasted the commission’s decision, which was passed in a 3-2 vote.
Ormat’s attorney, Jessica Woelfel, said Tuesday, however, the new agreement will be beneficial to the Washoe County community of Gerlach and the nearby Black Rock Desert.
“We understand the importance of tourism and conservation in the Black Rock Desert to Gerlach’s economic health and are happy to reach an agreement with Burning Man,” she said.
Burning Man, in the media statement, also praised Ormat, calling the energy company “a leading renewable energy provider.” The agreement between the two entities ends Burning Man’s lawsuit against BLM.
