The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) on Dec. 4 approved NV Energy’s integrated resource plan, which will bring an additional 1,190 megawatts of new solar renewable energy projects to Nevada and an additional 590 MW of energy storage capacity.
All three projects will be located in southern Nevada and are expected to be completed and serving customers by January 1, 2024.
In April, Senate Bill 358 was signed into law by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak requiring Nevada energy providers to achieve a 50 percent renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) by 2030 – a change that NV Energy supported and is one step closer to satisfying with these projects.
The newly approved projects will be added to NV Energy’s current portfolio of 57 geothermal, solar, hydro, wind, biomass and supported rooftop solar projects both in service and under development.
The three new projects are:
- Arrow Canyon Solar Project: 200-MW solar photovoltaic project with a 75 MW/5-hour battery storage system. The project will be located in Clark County, Nev., 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas on the Moapa Band of Paiutes Indian Reservation. It is being developed by EDF Renewables North America.
- Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center: 300-MW solar array that includes a 135 MW/-4-hour Li-Ion battery energy storage system. The project will be built in Clark County, Nev., on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 30 miles north of Las Vegas. It is being developed by 8minute Solar Energy.
- Gemini Solar + Battery Storage Project: 690-MW solar photovoltaic array coupled with a 380-MW AC battery storage system. The project will be located in Clark County, Nev., 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas on approximately 7,100 acres of federally-owned land under the management of the Bureau of Land Management. It is being developed by Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners in collaboration with Arevia Power, which are managing the development phases of the project.
Nevada PUC proposes 1,000 MW storage target
In late November, the Nevada PUC unveiled a proposal that would, among other things, set a 2030 statewide energy storage target of 1,000 MW.
The proposal is available here.
