BLM SAN LUIS VALLEY GEOTHERMAL LEASING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT

Joe Vieira

Project Manager

BLM Colorado Renewable Energy Team

6/28/2011

Points BLM Geothermal Leasing - Land Use Planning

Bounding regulatory environment

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office exampleGeothermal Leasing: Issues & ConcernsBLM alternatives Public response

Closing messages: Geothermal Energy & multiple use NEPA environmental review-public participation

BLM Geothermal Leasing – Land Use Planning Public Lands Geothermal Energy

Leasing, exploration, development Bounded by federal & state regulatory requirement

Examples:

○ Mineral Leasing Act○ Geothermal Steam Act○ Federal Lands Policy Management Act○ National Environmental Policy Act○ Endangered Species Act○ National Historic Preservation Act○ Energy Policy Act

BLM Geothermal Leasing – Land Use Planning

BLM Geothermal Leasing Steps:

1. Allocate BLM-administered lands and federal mineral estate with geothermal potential as closed, open with standard terms and conditions, or open with major or moderate constraints to geothermal leasing.

2. Lands and federal mineral estate open to leasing are made available for leasing through bidding process.

3. BLM receives lease nominations and conducts site-specific environmental analysis on the proposed parcels

4. Leases issued for a primary term of 10 years and may be extended for two five year periods. Lease owner has the right to develop in accordance with lease terms and stipulations.

5. The four stages of geothermal resource development may follow if the lessee chooses to develop the lease.

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example BLM Programmatic Geothermal Leasing PEIS (2008) did not

amend the BLM San Luis Resource Area Resource Management Plan (RMP, 1991);

BLM Colorado action intent is to amend the RMP with the PEIS direction.

RMP Amendment: EA-level analysis, tiered to the PEIS.

Focus only on geothermal leasing; not a complete RMP revision

As appropriate, RMPA provides more specific direction to address regional conditions.

The units of measurement are in milliWatts per square meter (mW/m2)

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example• NEPA Public Comment

• The largest percentage of comments (60.4%) addressed resource planning issues which included the following:

• Fish and Wildlife - protect Orient Mine bats, protect sensitive wildlife habitats, protect state wildlife areas…

• Water Resources – protect from degradation, and protect riparian areas…

• Renewable Energy Development – pro and con development

• Visual Resources - protect

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example

BLM San Luis Valley Field Office example

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

Three NEPA Alternatives

EA-RMPA Alternatives compare: Geothermal Leasing Allocation - Open vs. Closed Geothermal Leasing Stipulations for Open – SS, NSO, CSU, TL

Alternative A - No Action: No PEIS ROD/BMP Adoption + Least Closed + TL focus + RMP Stips

Alternative B – BLM Preferred Alternative PEIS ROD/BMP Adoption + Increased Closed + CSU Emphasis

Alternative C – High Restriction Action Alternative PEIS ROD/BMP Adoption + Most Closed + Most NSO

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

SLV Geothermal EA Overview

Concluding Messages BLM’s renewable energy mandate:

Make lands available for environmentally responsible energy development

Geothermal energy land use: what, where, & how

Streamlined geothermal leasing decisions: Clear geothermal leasing allocations & resource protection stipulations

Geothermal Planning is one land-use

RMP’s are old, NEPA-Land Use Planning is a public process

Contact Information

Joe Vieira, BLM CO Renewable Energy Program

San Luis Valley Public Lands Center

1843 W. Hwy 160

Monte Vista, CO 81144

jvieira@blm.gov

719-852-6213

BLM San Luis Valley Geothermal Leasing EA-RMPAhttp://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/slvfo/Geothermal_Leasing.html