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| Area of the proposed Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Project. (Caroline Woods/BLM) |
The proposed Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Area Project supports the Trump Administration’s goals of achieving energy independence and economic growth. If approved, the project would facilitate opportunities to generate revenue for the Inyo County community—contributing $72 million annually during its peak construction and $3 million annually during operations. The project would also create job opportunities by hiring 250 temporary and 65 permanent employees. The total project investment amounts to approximately $1 billion.
The Final EIS provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental impacts for the proposed Land Use Plan Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area plan. Additionally, the BLM analyzed three pending geothermal lease applications on public lands within the Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Area and modifications to the management of four Areas of Critical Environmental Concern to allow for surface occupancy of geothermal development within the leasing area
The publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on Jan. 24, opens a 30-day protest period and a 60-day governor’s consistency review. Pending the outcome of the protest period and Governor’s consistency review, the BLM will issue a Record of Decision. Information about the project, along with the agency preferred alternative and instructions for filing a protest, is available online at: https://go.usa.gov/xEnvy.
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