BLM awards 60 geothermal parcels in Nevada for $4.83 million

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accepted winning bids worth $4.83 million on October 20, 2026, in its Nevada geothermal lease sale. The 60 parcels awarded, out of 83 offered, total 186,641 acres spread across 10 counties, according to the BLM's statement.

The sale is Nevada's first of 2026 and the fourth of six federal geothermal auctions scheduled for the year, according to Utility Dive. The counties included are Lyon, Churchill, Mineral, Humboldt, Esmeralda, Lander, Nye, Eureka, Lincoln and White Pine. For the region, the case sets a benchmark for how U.S. public land becomes annual rent and royalties: the BLM splits bonuses, rents and future royalties among the U.S. Treasury, the state of Nevada and the affected counties. Mexico has long debated a concession framework for its geothermal resource, today concentrated in plants operated by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE).

The detail reveals a market concentrated among a few companies. The largest awardee was Ormat Technologies, with close to $2.3 million for eight parcels and roughly 20,263 acres, including the sale's highest bid, at $201 per acre in White Pine. Invenergy and Glovate trailed in dollar terms. The results contrast with earlier auctions: Nevada's 2025 sale raised close to $9.4 million across roughly 280,000 acres, and New Mexico's June 2026 sale reached $16.5 million. The auction also drew a third-party objection: NextEra asked the BLM to withdraw or postpone three parcels that overlap with its eventual 1 GW Sawtooth solar project, and the agency responded that it manages the land under a multiple-use standard.

The BLM's acting Nevada state director, Justin Abernathy, said the sale reflects continued interest in developing natural resources. Contracts are issued once review and payment are complete. California and Idaho remain on the calendar, and how those auctions perform will show whether the leasing pace holds in the western basin.

This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.