BLM Nevada approves geothermal power plant in Dixie Meadows

Unionvzlle, Pershing County, Nevada (Source, Flickr, Ken Lund, Creative commons)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada Stillwater Field Office has announced the approval of the Dixie Meadows Geothermal Development Project. The development of the project will be done by Ormat Nevada.

This project will include the development and operation of up to two 30MWe geothermal power plants, the drilling of up to 18 geothermal production and injection well sites using eight core hole sites, the construction and operation of pipelines for geothermal fluid, and the construction of either 120kV or 230kV gen-tie lines and their associated structures.

The project will be located in Churchill and Pershing Counties, about 43 miles northeast of Fallon, Nevada.

We had previously reported on the completion of the environmental assessment in Dixie Meadows back in 2017 as well as the public comment period that followed. Since then, Ormat Nevada had worked with BLM and other partner agencies to create an Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Mitigation Plan. Another public comment period was made available for this revised environmental assessment from January to February 2021.

BLM has made all documents related to the environmental analysis and decision records available to the public. You may access them through this link.

Source: Bureau of Land Management