BLM geothermal sale nets $4.8M; two Nevada parcels overlap NextEra solar site

The Bureau of Land Management sold geothermal leases on 60 parcels in Nevada on Tuesday, netting nearly $4.83 million for 186,641 acres, according to Utility Dive.

Two of the parcels overlap NextEra Energy's proposed 1-GW Sawtooth Energy Center solar project in Nye County, where the company has a pending right-of-way application.

Ormat Technologies was the largest bidder, spending about $2.3 million for eight parcels covering roughly 20,263 acres. United Minerals and Mining bought the two overlapping parcels for about $15,400 each.

NextEra had asked BLM to "remove, defer, or reconfigure" three overlapping parcels, and the agency rejected the request. BLM said it "manages the land for multiple use" and that later authorizations, including rights of way, "must not unreasonably interfere with geothermal operations undertaken by the lease holder." Because the parcel in question would be leased before NextEra's right of way is authorized, BLM said the developer "must collaborate with any potential lessee and adjust its operations accordingly to avoid land use conflicts." One of the three contested parcels was not listed in Tuesday's auction.

Total receipts trailed the 2025 Nevada sale, about $9.4 million on roughly 280,000 acres, and June's New Mexico auction at $16.5 million, the second-highest-grossing in BLM history. Of the 83 parcels BLM marked for sale, 10 were removed for reasons other than protests, 13 drew no bids, and none were pulled because of protests.

BLM's answer puts the burden of adjustment on the later right-of-way holder rather than the geothermal lessee. NextEra did not respond to Utility Dive's request for comment.