Record-setting geothermal bid signals rising interest in federal leases

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Dive Brief

One parcel in New Mexico sold for $701 per acre in June. Analysts cited stronger bidder competition as the Bureau of Land Management prepares for another lease sale in Utah scheduled for Aug. 18.

Published Aug. 13, 2026

The sun rises beyond a geothermal power plant near the Salton Sea on April 30, 2026, near Calipatria, California. A June geothermal lease sale held in New Mexico by the Bureau of Land Management netted more than $16.5 million, making it the second-highest-grossing sale in BLM history.

Record-setting geothermal bid signals rising interest in federal leases

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