Sometimes an alternative to fossil fuel energy is right under your nose or, in the case of geothermal steam, just below the surface of the ground. The northwestern quadrant of Nevada is rich in geothermal wells and springs, many of which have already been harnessed to generate electricity or to supply power for other direct uses. These applications include heating greenhouses and other buildings, dehydrating vegetables, warming water for aquaculture sites, and providing hot water for spas. Geothermal resources are made possible by underground reservoirs of hot water or steam heated by the earth. This resource reaches the surface in the form of hot springs, geysers, mud pots, or steam vents (think Old Faithful).

A May 2001 Executive Order requires federal agencies to streamline the development of geothermal resources on public lands. To comply, the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, is issuing leases for geothermal resources on 400,000 acres of public land in four Nevada counties. Tetra Tech prepared the environmental assessments for the project.

There are still many areas in Nevada where the geothermal potential has not been exploited. But taking advantage of this natural energy source often carries a high environmental risk. The BLM's leases include stipulations that will allow geothermal development in certain areas without affecting the natural resources, such as the wild horses and burros in the Marietta Wild Burro Range, southeast of Hawthorne. This is the nation's only recognized range for wild burros.