Federal Land Examined for Geothermal Development
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently announced it will prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) analyzing areas with high potential for geothermal energy development.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently announced it will prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) analyzing areas with high potential for geothermal energy development.
The PEIS will examine the environmental impacts of boosting geothermal leasing in areas with high potential for near-term exploration and development of geothermal resources. If deemed appropriate by the PEIS, the BLM will amend the land use plans in those areas to allow for expanded leasing.
The PEIS will focus on areas with high geothermal potential in 11 western states and Alaska. These areas will include those identified by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as by the public and other stakeholders. The entire west is being considered, including areas in northwestern Nevada, northeastern California, and the Raft River Basin in Oregon.
Also being analyzed are the steps necessary to facilitate the processing of the approximately 100 geothermal lease applications that were pending as of January 1, 2005, as mandated by the Energy Policy of Act of 2005. The law stipulated that 90 percent of these applications must be issued, rejected, or otherwise disposed of by August 8, 2010.
Publication of the notice of intent launches a 60-day period in which the public can comment on the PEIS. Input is being sought on which areas with high geothermal potential should be examined, as well as definition and refinement of the development alternatives that will be proposed in the draft EIS.
Geothermal energy accounts for 17 percent of the electricity generated from renewable sources in the U.S. Half of the nation’s geothermal energy production occurs on federal land, much of it in California and Nevada, and 90 percent of the potential resources are located on public lands as well.
Geothermal leasing is permitted on Interior and other federal lands that are designated for this type of development. The BLM currently administers about 420 geothermal leases; 55 of those are producing geothermal energy, including 34 power plants.
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