NV Energy Bets Big on Solar in Nevada

By Anca Gagiuc

After contracting more than 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy resources to be built in the state of Nevada, NV Energy has requested approval to build 100 megawatts of battery energy capacity disposed in six separate projects. Half of the facilities will be located in northern Nevada and half in southern Nevada. The renewable energy expansion is the largest such investment in the state’s history and represents a step forward in the company’s commitment toward renewable energy, which is to double its capacity by 2023.

The six new solar projects and three related battery-energy storage resources will require more than 1,700 construction workers; upon completion—anticipated for the end of 2021—about 80 new long-term permanent jobs are set to be created. However, the resource plan filing requires approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

“We calculate that the direct investment in Nevada’s economy, which includes the cost of construction, will be greater than $2 billion,” NV Energy CEO Paul Caudill said in a prepared statement. The projects will boost NV Energy’s total renewable energy portfolio to more than 3.2 gigawatts in Nevada.

Six new PPAs

Battle Mountain Solar Project is a 101-megawatt solar photovoltaic project located near Battle Mountain, Nev. It will be equipped with 25 megawatts of battery storage for a four-hour period, marking the nation’s largest DC-coupled combined solar and battery storage system. The developer is Cypress Creek Renewables, a privately held solar developer with more than 2.2 gigawatts of solar energy storage systems developed to date across 12 states. Unlike other combined solar and battery energy storage systems that lose efficiency through multiple conversions between direct current and alternating current energy, the Battle Mountain project needs only one conversion by coupling their direct current battery system to the solar field.

Dodge Flat Solar Energy Center is a 200-megawatt solar photovoltaic project located east of Reno and developed by NextEra Energy Resources. This system will integrate 50 megawatts of battery storage, also for four hours.

Fish Springs Ranch Solar Energy Center is a 100-megawatt photovoltaic project located north of Reno, also developed by NextEra Energy Renewables. The solar system will integrate 25-megawatts of battery energy storage for four hours.

Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm will be a 300-megawatt photovoltaic project north of Las Vegas, on land owned by Moapa Band of Paiutes and developed by 8minutenergy Renewables, an independent U.S. solar and storage developer in with 7.5 megawatts of solar photovoltaic and 1 gigawatt of storage under development in North America.

Coper Mountain Solar 5 will be a 250-megawatt solar photovoltaic project in Eldorado Valley, south of Boulder City, developed by Sempra Renewables, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy.

Techren Solar V will be a 50-megawatt solar photovoltaic located in Eldorado Valley that will add to Techren Solar I, II, III and IV, currently in the construction stage, bringing its overall size to 400 megawatts.

Video courtesy of NV Energy