Oregon Breaks Record With $430K Geothermal Land Sale in Malheur County

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has leased more than 5,000 acres of land for geothermal exploration in Malheur County. The revenue will contribute to subsidizing the cost of energy in Oregon.

The record-breaking $430,518 revenue from the sale of the lease will be divided between the state of Oregon, which will receive 50 percent, and the balance equally shared between Malheur County and the U.S. Treasury.

Oregon’s Most Lucrative Sale in Recent History

The average of $82 an acre for the 5,235 parcel of land is the most lucrative amount generated by a BLM lease sale in Oregon in recent history.

According to the BLM, the leases are crucial for the development of geothermal energy, a renewable resource that involves exploration, resource drilling, production, and reclamation.

A geothermal resource is the internal heat generated by the Earth, which is harnessed for electricity generation, heating, and cooling.

‘Unleashing American Energy’, part of Executive Order 14154, helps the BLM to bolster the energy needs of citizens and consolidate the U.S. as a global energy leader.

The BLM has the authority to manage geothermal resource leasing, exploration, and development on 245 million acres of public land. It also manages a further 700 million acres where the U.S. owns the subsurface mineral estate.