Thermal Zones makes finding public geothermal claims a matter of a simple search

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grants individuals and companies geothermal rights on public land. Thermal Zones is a source to see where these geothermal claims are and have been.

New claims are being filed, auctioned, or resold through private sales. While claims change hands, become active or closed, or have new actions filed, we are updating our records to make this information available to everyone.

Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center

In an earlier post, we discussed The Geysers geothermal operation in the Sonoma and Lake Counties. This steam field and its power plants are part of the Calpine Corporation*, the Nation’s largest renewable geothermal producer.  As part of it’s outreach role, Calpine established the Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center, to educate the public on geothermal energy production and what makes The Geysers location unique.…

Understanding Maps

The time has come for a over of our mapping services to clear the way for further development of handy tools for our users. As such, this month we have rolled out a new map format to better allow our users to quickly peruse geothermal energy leases by disposition. In order to keep the maps as clutter free as possibly,…

Old Faithful Geyser of California

Many of us have made the journey to Yellowstone to observe Old Faithful.  Fewer are aware of California’s contribution to the name: the Old Faithful Geyser of California. This roadside attraction in Napa County has a rather apt name, given the geyser’s regular eruptions. At the time of our visit, eruptions averaged 10 minutes apart and 20 feet high. This is…

The Geysers Geothermal Operation

Along with its famous, sprawling vineyards, Sonoma County holds another notable natural resource, less known to tourists but a point of mystery and fascination to locals: The Geysers.  The Geysers are tucked away in the folds of the Mayacamas Mountains, ranging along the Sonoma and Lake county borders. Within the 45 square miles of steam fields are 333 steam wells feeding…

Understanding Townships

This entry focuses on a part of our earlier discussion, Understanding Location Data. For greater context on what we will be addressing, please read that post first. One of the more confusing aspects of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the concept of “townships.” A “township” can refer to two different things. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have…

Understanding Location Data

Claims handled by the Bureau of Land Management are not mapped by latitude and longitude, as many maps now use.  Instead, many of these claims harken back to an older form of surveying called the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), a  measurement system that may seem confusing to the uninitiated, but was a great step forward in the time that it…

Welcome!

We are excited to have launched the Thermal Zones!  There is a lot of thermal energy collection that occurs across the US.  While much of this is occurring on public lands, few people are able to discover the “who,” “what,” and “where” of public thermal energy claims.  Though this is a matter of public record, we aim to make it a matter of a…