LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another clean energy project could soon be constructed in southern Nevada.
The Bureau of Land Management is asking for the public's feedback on a new, proposed project, which would be located on 2,433 acres of public land about 38 miles west of Las Vegas, adjacent to the Clark and Nye county line.
If approved, the Rough Hat Clark County Solar Project would add 400 megawatts of clean solar photovoltaic power to the grid, which would be enough to power over 74,000 homes. The project would also include a 700-megawatt battery energy storage system.
According to the BLM, construction would lead to jobs for 400 workers and construction would last between 12 and 18 months.
There will be an in-person meeting in Pahrump at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino on Jan. 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will also be a virtual meeting on Feb. 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can register to attend on the BLM website. You can also mail written comments to the BLM Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV, 89130, or by email at BLM_NV_SND_EnergyProjects@blm.gov.
BLM officials state they are currently processing 67 utility-scale onshore clean energy projects for public lands across the western United States. They are also reviewing 195 applications for solar and wind development as well as 97 applications for solar and wind energy site area testing.
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In September, Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said clean energy projects are behind on construction because so many companies are coming to Nevada from other states for their projects.
"When we first introduced our public lands bill, a lot of the solar companies ran to BLM and put in these different projects they wanted to do to the tune of 244,000 acres," Kirkpatrick said at the time. "They weren't looking out for our community. At the same time, here we are. BLM has all of these applications and the community doesn't get much. The residents take the brunt of it."
State officials have set the goal of at least 50% of the electricity utilities sold to Nevada customers must come from renewable sources by 2030. They're also aiming to have zero net carbon emissions by 2050.
"It's going to be a challenge," said Jimmy Daghlian, Vice President of Renewables and Generation Origination for NV Energy. "Power purchase agreements, which were supposed to be completed on time were not. We're playing a catch-up game. I know we can do it but it will require a lot of investments to get to that number."
