By Emily Barbo
The Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners (State Land Board) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified development teams to explore and develop geothermal energy projects on state trust land in Alamosa, Rio Grande, Saguache, Las Animas, and La Plata Counties.
The RFP invites experienced and financially capable applicants to plan, permit, finance, explore for and construct a geothermal project, including an electric generation facility, on state trust land.
“This action is an important next step in advancing innovative energy opportunities on state trust lands,” said Christopher Smith, Assistant Director for Energy Innovation for the Colorado State Land Board. “We’re excited about the potential to contribute to a more sustainable energy future while ensuring projects are designed and implemented with care for the land, existing uses, and surrounding communities.”
The parcels are located in geothermally prospective areas in Southwest Colorado and many are positioned within proximity to existing electrical transmission infrastructure, making them strong candidates for geothermal energy development.
Through this competitive process, the State Land Board will evaluate proposals based on applicant’s financial bid, project development experience, access to financing, projected project timeline, projected development footprint and surface impacts, community engagement plan, and water plan.
Proposals are due Sunday, September 20, 2026, and must be submitted through the State Land Board’s online application process hosted by Efficient Markets.
This RFP builds on the agency’s broader efforts to explore emerging energy opportunities that align with its mission to generate consistent revenue for public schools while ensuring the long-term health and productivity of Colorado’s trust lands. The State Land Board is currently reviewing tracts in other counties to determine if the lands are compatible for geothermal development with existing uses and anticipates additional RFPs in the future.
For more information and to access the full RFP at Efficient Markets, visit: https://app.efficientmarkets.com/salegroup/6564
The Colorado State Land Board is a constitutionally created agency that manages a $6 billion endowment of assets for the intergenerational benefit of Colorado’s K-12 schoolchildren and public institutions. The agency is the second-largest landowner in Colorado and generates revenue on behalf of beneficiaries by leasing three million surface acres and four million subsurface acres for agriculture, grazing, recreation, commercial real estate, rights-of-way, renewable energy, oil, gas, and solid minerals. The agency is entirely self-funded and receives no tax dollars.
Emily Barbo is Public Information Officer, Colorado State Land Board.