NextEra's Nevada Solar Plan Faces Geothermal Lease Auction

The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is auctioning thousands of acres of geothermal leases in Nevada. The parcels overlap with NextEra Energy’s proposed Sawtooth Energy Center, a 1,000-megawatt solar project.

NextEra asked the BLM to remove or alter the parcels, saying the overlap could create a “foreseeable conflict” with its pending application. The agency denied the request, saying federal lands are managed for multiple uses.

The lease sale could create hurdles for the proposed project.