The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes a new categorical exclusion (CX) that would apply to geothermal resource confirmation of up to 20 acres.

October 18, 2024
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes a new categorical exclusion (CX) that would apply to geothermal resource confirmation of up to 20 acres. Geothermal Rising applauds Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, and the Biden-Harris Administration for taking this step to accelerate geothermal energy development on public lands. The proposed Categorical Exclusion would significantly reduce permitting timelines and capital costs of geothermal resource confirmation operations plan of up to 20 acres, by allowing both phases of exploration to be addressed in a single environmental review.

The Department of Energy’s Next-Generation Geothermal Power Commercial Liftoff report anticipates that geothermal energy could provide 2-5 GW of 24/7 clean, firm electricity by 2030 and their GeoVision report projects up to 90GW by 2050. Scaling this
vital technology will strengthen U.S. energy security, drive economic competitiveness, contribute to our environmental goals, and support the growing demand for electrifying vehicles, buildings, and data centers.

“We commend the leadership and initiative of the DOI in introducing administrative CXs and look forward to continuing to advocate for additional legislative reforms to further enhance certainty and remove permitting barriers for the entire geothermal industry,” said Dr. Bryant Jones, Executive Director of Geothermal Rising. “The BLM’s approval of Cape Station, Fervo Energy’s enhanced geothermal energy project in Beaver County, Utah, which could generate up to 2 GW of reliable, clean power, is a great example of how efficient permitting timelines effectively pave the way for geothermal energy development that the entire industry and all our members can benefit from.” Geothermal Rising intends to submit comments as part of the rule making once it's
posted to the register.