U.S. Interior Department Releases Environmental Review for 500-Megawatt Solar Project in Nevada

The Bureau of Land Management on Sept. 4 released its final environmental assessment for the Yellow Pine Solar Project, which would be located on about 3,000 acres of public land in Nevada. The review address two related applications. The first one consists of a 500-megawatt solar energy generation station and ancillary facilities including battery storage proposed by Yellow Pine Solar LLC. The second application pertains to an associated substation and transmission line proposed by GridLiance West LLC. The project would help meet the renewable energy goals of both Nevada and California.

The review examines the proposed action, two alternative actions, and a no-action alternative. The preferred alternative consists of the proposed action using the “mowing alternative,” under which   vegetation would be maintained within the solar facility, allowing wildlife to remain within the solar facility to some extent.

The proposed project would be located about 10 miles southeast of Pahrump and about 32 miles west of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada. The solar power plant would provide renewable energy to the electrical transmission grid via the proposed Gridliance West’s Trout Canyon Substation, located adjacent to the facility. The 230-kV substation will facilitate renewable energy developers’ access to the overall Gridliance electrical utility grid.

The project is expected to take 24 months for construction, and support a workforce of 200 to 300 workers, with up to 400 workers at peak construction. Upon completion, the facility would be staffed by up to 10 operations personnel during daytime working hours.

Large-scale solar has an important role in meeting renewable energy mandates. Nevada revised its renewable portfolio standard in April 2019, requiring NV Energy to source at least 34 percent of its retail electric sales renewable energy by 2025. California has a more ambitious goal, requiring utilities to obtain 60 percent of their retail sales from renewable energy resources in 2030.

Yellow Pine Solar is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC.