BLM to offer geothermal leases

The Bureau of Land Management plans to offer more than 6,000 acres of federal land in Beaver County as geothermal leases, the agency said Thursday.

The offering will be "the first geothermal lease sale in the United States under the new regulations of the Energy Act of 2005," said BLM spokesman Al McKee.

Three parcels will be offered in the Cove Fort-Sulphurdale area, according to the BLM. The leases are to be opened to bidding on June 20.

Parcels must have a minimum bid of $2 per acre, and successful bidders must immediately pay 20 percent of the bid and the first year's rental. The balance must be paid within 15 days.

"Leasing geothermal resources plays a key role in the National Energy Policy," said Kent Hoffman, the BLM's Utah deputy state director of lands and minerals. "Since this renewable form of energy does not require burning of fossil fuels, it has minimal impacts on air quality."

The BLM administers 29 geothermal power plants, using resources in California, Nevada and Utah, with a total capacity of 1,250 megawatts. According to the BLM, that's enough to supply the energy needs of 1.2 million homes.