BLM seeking input on November 2026 Idaho geothermal lease sale
Public feedback is being sought on a proposed geothermal lease sale in Idaho covering 114,00 acres, scheduled to be conducted on November 2026.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking is seeking input on a proposed geothermal lease sale for 36 parcels in Idaho scheduled for November 2026. The public feedback period ends on 13 May 2026.
The planned geothermal lease sale will cover 36 parcels totaling 114,000 acres across Washington, Owyhee, Elmore, Twin Falls, Cassia, Clark, and Lemhi counties. Leasing these parcels will allow lessees to explore and for and potentially develop geothermal resources within the parcel.
More information on the nominated parcels, proposed lease stipulations, and how to provide feedback are available on the Idaho Geothermal Energy website.
The proposed geothermal lease sale is considerably larger than a recently held geothermal lease sale in Idaho, where 17 parcels secured winning bids with a total of USD 1.3 million.
For each parcel leased, 25% of the bid, rental receipts, and subsequent royalties will go to the U.S. Treasury, 25% will go to the county where the lease is located, and the remaining 50% will go to the State of Idaho. Most of the state allocation goes into the renewable energy resources fund, while the rest goes into the construction and maintenance of public facilities in the counties where the leases are located.
Source: BLM
