Surprise Valley Geothermal Exploration Project

The Surprise Valley Geothermal Exploration Project entails the drilling of up to eleven geothermal test wells across nine well pads in Modoc County, California, with each well penetrating between 3,000 and 5,000 feet underground. Each well pad will be equipped with a drilling rig, support infrastructure, portable restrooms, baker tanks for fluid capture, and project vehicles to support operations. The testing phase will involve flowing geothermal fluids from the exploratory wells into the baker tanks, where critical data such as temperature, pressure, flow rates, and chemical composition will be monitored and recorded to assess resource potential. To enable access to these remote well sites, three new access roads will be constructed, branching off from Surprise Valley Road, while existing roads may be widened, graded, or surfaced to handle heavy equipment transport, ensuring safe and reliable logistics throughout the project duration. The project is led by Modoc County, with the Planning Director, Sean Curtis, serving as the primary point of contact and Bruce Grove of SHN Engineering acting as the consultant. All work will take place in and around Alturas, California, with a zip code of 96115. The initiative is positioned as a forecasted opportunity with no solicitation number currently issued, and no set-aside classification has been specified, indicating open eligibility for contractors. The project seeks to advance geothermal energy exploration in the region through targeted subsurface testing, with infrastructure development designed to minimize long-term environmental impact while maximizing data collection efficiency. Public and regulatory engagement is expected to be managed through the California Environmental Quality Act process, as referenced by the provided CEQANET project link.