The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) has approved a stipulation agreement between NV Energy, the regulatory operations staff of the PUCN, Bureau of Consumer Protection and other stakeholders that approves a portion of the company’s integrated resource plan (IRP) amendment and brings the benefits of three new large-scale solar+storage projects.
These projects will be built in southern Nevada and total 478 MW of new solar photovoltaic generation and 338 MW of energy storage. All three projects are expected to be serving customers by the end of 2023.
“These new solar+storage projects are the latest of 12 such projects we’ve brought forward since 2018 and demonstrate NV Energy’s ongoing commitment to advance renewable energy development and reduce carbon emissions while keeping customer rates low and stable,” says Doug Cannon, president and CEO of NV Energy. “These projects will not only power our customers’ homes and businesses with clean energy, they will create jobs and contribute to Nevada’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
With this approval, NV Energy has also achieved the ambitious 1,000 MW storage target set in regulation. By using the new battery systems, NV Energy can store low-cost solar energy during the day then deliver it to its customers during the evening, bringing NV Energy closer to meeting its long-term goal to serve customers with 100% renewable energy.
The newly approved projects bring NV Energy’s current portfolio to 56 geothermal, solar, hydro, wind and biomass projects both in service and under development, including 2,669 MW of new solar generation and 1,028 MW of battery energy storage.
NV Energy’s recently approved projects are:
-Dry Lake Solar Project – a 150 MW solar photovoltaic project with a 100 MW, four-hour battery storage system. The project will be located in Clark County, Nev., 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas in a designated solar energy zone on land leased from the Bureau of Land Management. It is being developed by NV Energy and will become its third and largest company-owned renewable project
-Boulder Solar III – a 128 MW solar array that includes a 58 MW, four-hour battery storage system. The project will be built in Clark County, Nev., in the Eldorado Valley south of Boulder City. It is being developed by 174 PowerGlobal and KOMIPO America Inc., who have vast experience developing over 550 MW of utility-scale solar generation plants in the Eldorado Valley
-Chuckwalla Solar Project – a 200 MW solar photovoltaic array coupled with a 180 MW, four-hour battery storage system. The project will be located in Clark County, Nev., 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas within the Moapa River Indian Reservation. It is being developed by EDF Renewables North America, an independent power producer
PUCN’s recent decision also provides conditional approval of the Mojave High School Solar Project, the first project in the Expanded Solar Access Program, which was established by Assembly Bill 465 during the 2018 Nevada Legislative Session.
The PUCN continues to review the company’s proposal for Greenlink Nevada and a decision is expected in early 2021.
Photo: NV Energy’s landing page