Federal Geothermal Leasing Program

Federal lands are leased for geothermal development. To date there has been no commercial production from Federal leases. Leasing and permitting delays are not in themselves the only or even the primary reasons for the slow pace of geothermal development. Estimates indicate that the Federal Government owns approximately 55 percent of the country's total geothermal resources. The Geological Survey has classified only 10 Federal leases as producible and 2 as producing. Legislation has been introduced which would expand the current acreage limit. Methods used to identify and designate land as known geothermal resource areas need improvement. The competitive interest requirement, although a sound idea, needs more consideration and possibly revision. There are some disagreements regarding the authority of the Department of the Interior to issue leases on withdrawn and acquired lands that need to be clarified.