U.S. Department of the InteriorOffice of the SecretaryContact: John Wright 202-209-6416 For Immediate Release: July 22, 2002 Jo Simpson 775-861-6586 Secretary Norton Announces Geothermal Lease Sale for Nevada The president's national energy policy places a high priority on
alternative energy development, while promoting energy conservation NEVADA -- Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced today that acreage in eight Known Geothermal Resource Areas (KGRA) in Nevada will be up for competitive sale in September. Norton made the announcement following a tour of Caithness Yankee Geothermal Plant located at Steamboat, south of Reno. "The president's national energy policy places a high priority on alternative energy development, while promoting energy conservation," Norton said. "Energy security is part of our national security. Our renewable energy such as geothermal can play an important role in helping to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy." Norton noted that geothermal energy has been a component of Nevada's energy sources since 1985. More federal leases are in operation in Nevada than any other state. The geothermal generation capacity for Nevada includes a total of 12 power plants. Nine of these plants use federal resources, and two are located on federal lands. Nevada's nine powerplants using federal resources have a total generation capacity of 165 megawatts, enough to supply the electrical needs of 165,000 households. "Last November, the Department of the Interior along with the Department of Energy, held an historic conference on renewable energy on public lands, said Norton. "We followed up by doubling our renewable energy budget." Geothermal energy accounts for about 17 percent of renewable electricity generation and 0.3 percent of total U.S. electricity supply. Nevada currently has157 geothermal leases covering 211,300 acres.The Interior Department manages about one fifth of our nation's lands and provides approximately one-third of the nation's domestic energy. It produces approximately 40 percent of the nation's geothermal energy. Interior has more than 600 solar-powered facilities, 40 solar hot water systems, 30 wind turbines, 15 geothermal heating and cooling systems, and 6 wind farms. Each year the department uses 200,000 gallons of bio-fuels in vehicle and marine fleets and maintains a fleet of about 1,200 alternative fuel vehicles. - DOI - U.S. Department of the Interior
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