### US Department of the Interior Advances Geothermal Energy Expansion

In a significant move towards a cleaner energy future, the US Department of the Interior has unveiled substantial progress in expanding geothermal energy production on public lands. This initiative aims to help the United States achieve a carbon-neutral power sector by 2035.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has greenlit the Fervo Cape Geothermal Power Project in Beaver County, Utah, which is set to generate up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of continuous, baseload power, enough to supply over 2 million homes. This project employs innovative technology, injecting water into hot underground rock formations and then extracting the heated water to produce electricity, as opposed to the traditional reliance on naturally occurring subterranean hot water sources.

Covering approximately 631 acres, including 148 acres on public lands, the Fervo Cape project will establish up to 23 well pads for drilling observation, production, and injection wells. Additionally, the project will incorporate the construction of up to 20 geothermal power plants, access roads, a sub-transmission line network, and an electrical switchyard, along with necessary ancillary facilities.

The enhanced geothermal system (EGS) used in this project creates a human-made reservoir to access underground heat for energy. Unlike naturally occurring hydrothermal systems that require heat, fluid, and permeability, EGS injects fluid deep underground to open or create fractures, thereby allowing fluid to circulate through the hot rock and generate electricity.

With the approval of the Fervo Cape project, the BLM's sanctioned clean energy projects on public lands now total nearly 32 gigawatts. The BLM is also introducing a new categorical exclusion to accelerate geothermal energy resource confirmation on public lands. Noteworthy is the recent geothermal lease sale by the BLM Nevada State Office on October 8, which garnered near-record revenues—the most profitable sale since 2008, amassing over $7.8 million in high bids for 64 parcels covering nearly 218,000 acres.

Currently, 51 geothermal power plants operate on BLM-managed lands, producing clean energy with minimal carbon emissions. BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning emphasized the bureau's commitment to responsibly expanding geothermal energy, stating that "we need all the tools in the toolbox to reach a clean energy future."

The successful sale and growing investments underscore a rising interest in geothermal development, marking a pivotal step towards sustainable energy production in the United States.