Notice of Competitive Auction for Solar Energy Development on Public Lands in the State of Colorado, 50086-50087 [2013-20036]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50086-50087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20036]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCO923000 L13400000.KH0000]


Notice of Competitive Auction for Solar Energy Development on 
Public Lands in the State of Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Colorado State Office 
will accept competitive bids to select a preferred applicant to submit 
a right-of-way (ROW) application and a plan of development for solar 
energy projects on approximately 3,705 acres of public land in Saguache 
and Conejos Counties in Colorado.

DATES: The BLM will hold an oral auction at the BLM's Colorado State 
Office on October 24, 2013. Prior to the oral auction, sealed bids will 
be accepted and will be carried to the oral auction. Sealed bids must 
be received, not postmarked, by the BLM Colorado State Office to the 
address listed below on or before October 15, 2013. The oral auction 
will begin at 10 a.m., opening with the minimum bonus bid or the 
highest sealed bid over the minimum bonus bid, whichever is higher. 
Bidder registration begins at 9 a.m. In order to bid, you must provide 
the bidder's name and personal or business address. Each bid can only 
contain the name of one bidder (i.e., citizen, association or 
partnership, corporation or municipality). An administrative fee of 
$48,169 is also required from each bidder for each parcel at 
registration. Sealed bids must include the same required information 
for registration. All registered bidders will be notified of the 
results of the oral auction within 10 calendar days of the bid closing. 
Bonus bids from the successful high bidder(s) must be deposited within 
10 calendar days of notification. ROW applications, plans of 
development, and all associated information from the successful high 
bidder(s) must be received within 180 days of notification. If the 
successful high bidder does not deposit bonus bids or perfect their ROW 
application within the stated timeframes of this notice, the next 
highest bid will become the successful bidder.

ADDRESSES: Sealed bids, including all required administrative fee 
deposits and documentation must be submitted to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Attention: Maryanne Kurtinaitis, CO923, 2850 Youngfield 
Street, Lakewood, CO 80215. Electronic bid submissions will not be 
accepted. The BLM will hold the oral auction at the address listed 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maryanne Kurtinaitis, Renewable Energy 
Program Manager, by telephone at 303-239-3708 or by email at 
mkurtina@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BLM Colorado has received several 
solicitations of interest and ROW applications within two designated 
Solar Energy Zones (SEZ): Los Mogotes East SEZ and De Tilla Gulch SEZ. 
Applications for solar energy development are processed as ROW 
authorizations pursuant to Title V of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act. Existing regulations authorize the BLM to determine 
whether competition exists among ROW applications filed for the same 
facility or system. 43 CFR 2804.23. The regulations also allow the BLM 
to resolve any such competition by using competitive bidding 
procedures.
    The BLM will use a competitive sealed and oral bid process to 
select a preferred applicant to submit a ROW application and plan of 
development for solar energy development in the Los Mogotes East SEZ 
and the De Tilla Gulch SEZ. The successful high bidder(s) for any of 
the parcels of public land offered by this notice must be prepared to 
submit a ROW application (SF-299) and a plan of development, consistent 
with the requirements of the regulations and within the timeframes 
specified in this notice. 43 CFR 2804.12 and 2803.10. Bidders may 
submit bid packages for one or all three parcels of public land 
described below.
    The public lands made available by this notice include one parcel 
called De Tilla Gulch SEZ, consisting of approximately 1,064 acres of 
public land within sections 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 of T. 45 N., R. 9 
E., New Mexico Principal Meridian, Saguache County, Colorado. This 
parcel lies approximately 7 miles east of the town of Saguache, 
Colorado. The second parcel called Los Mogotes East SEZ (north parcel), 
consists of approximately 1,281 acres of public land within sections 1 
and 12 of T. 34 N., R. 8 E., New Mexico Principal Meridian, Conejos 
County, Colorado. This parcel lies three miles west of the town of 
Romeo, Colorado. The third parcel

[[Page 50087]]

called Los Mogotes East SEZ (south parcel), consists of approximately 
1,360 acres of public land within sections 13, 24, and 25 of T. 34 N., 
R. 8 E., New Mexico Principal Meridian, Conejos County, Colorado. This 
parcel lies 3 miles west of the town of Romeo, Colorado. Detailed 
information about the SEZs, including maps, can be viewed and 
downloaded at: https://solareis.anl.gov/maps/index.cfm.
    If you are submitting a sealed bid prior to the oral auction, all 
bidding documents must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with your name 
and return address on the outside. Include the following notation on 
the front lower left hand corner: SEALED BID--DO NOT OPEN. An 
administrative fee of $48,169 is also required for each parcel for 
sealed bids and at registration from each bidder for the oral auction 
in the form of a cashier's or certified check made payable to the 
``Bureau of Land Management.'' A minimum bonus bid has also been 
determined for each parcel. The minimum bonus bid represents 5 percent 
of the rent value of the land for 1 year ($63 per acre for Saguache and 
Conejos counties) under the BLM's interim solar rental policy and is 
based on the interests acquired by a preferred applicant to file a ROW 
application in a SEZ. Minimum bonus bids for the three parcels are: De 
Tilla Gulch--$3,352; Los Mogotes East (north parcel)--$4,035; and Los 
Mogotes East (south parcel)--$4,284. Bidders must use a bid statement 
to identify the bonus amount the bidder will pay for the right to 
submit a ROW application and plan of development. The bonus bid must 
meet or exceed the minimum bonus bid amount identified above for each 
parcel. The bid statement format and a complete description of the bid 
process are contained in an Invitation for Bids package available on 
the BLM Colorado Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/energy/renewable_energy.html.
    The high bidder(s) will become the successful bidder(s) and must 
deposit the bonus bid specified in the bid statement within 10 calendar 
days of notification by the BLM that they are the successful bidder. 
Upon the BLM's acceptance of the bonus bid specified in the bid 
statement, the successful bidder will become the preferred ROW 
applicant. The required administrative fee of the successful bidder(s) 
will be retained by the agency to recover administrative costs for 
conducting the competitive bid process. The bonus bid will be deposited 
with the U.S. Treasury. Neither amount will be returned or refunded to 
the successful high bidder(s) under any circumstance. All deposits made 
by unsuccessful bidders will be returned, without interest, upon the 
BLM's acceptance of the high bidder's bonus bid.
    If there is no bid received for a parcel, then no preferred ROW 
applicant will be identified and no application will be processed for 
solar energy development under the procedures listed in this notice. If 
the BLM is unable to determine the successful bidder, such as in the 
case of a tie, the BLM may re-offer the lands competitively to the tied 
bidders, or to all prospective bidders.
    The BLM will notify the successful high bidder(s) of the right to 
submit a ROW application and plan of development within 180 calendar 
days of the bid closing. Preferred ROW applicants will be required to 
reimburse the United States for the cost of processing an application 
consistent with the requirements of the regulations at 43 CFR 2804.14. 
The fees are based on the amount of time the BLM estimates it will take 
to process the ROW application and issue a decision. The BLM will begin 
processing the ROW application once the cost recovery fees are received 
as required by the regulations.

    Authority:  43 CFR 2804.23.

Helen M. Hankins,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-20036 Filed 8-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P