SANTA FE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management accepted winning bids on 47 parcels in New Mexico totaling 152,381.49 acres for $16,581,926 in total receipts for a geothermal lease sale. The BLM may issue leases once review and payment are complete. The combined bonus bids, rentals, and subsequent royalties from the leases will be distributed between the U.S. Treasury, the State of New Mexico and the counties where the leases are located.
Geothermal lease sales support domestic energy production and American energy independence, while contributing to the nation’s economic and military security. Consistent with Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” the BLM’s geothermal lease sales help meet the energy needs of U.S. citizens, will solidify the nation as a global energy leader long into the future, and achieve American Energy Dominance.
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal geothermal resources. The BLM ensures geothermal development meets the requirements set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other applicable legal authorities. Planning documents for this sale are available at the BLM National NEPA Register. The BLM’s lease sales are held online through Efficient Markets.
Geothermal is an abundant resource, especially in the West, where the BLM has authority to manage geothermal resource leasing, exploration, and development on approximately 245 million surface acres of public lands and the 700 million acres where the United States owns the subsurface mineral estate.
For more information, please contact BLM Natural Resource Specialist Cody McCullah at cmccullah@blm.gov or 505-954-2027.
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