NV Energy is developing a 300 MW (420 MW-dc) solar facility on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 30 miles north of Las Vegas, which will be the largest solar installation to date built on tribal land. It will also be the largest solar PV project ever built for NV Energy, as part of its latest tranche of renewable projects totaling over 1 gigawatt. The Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm will be developed by 8minutenergy Renewables, one of the largest independent solar and storage developer in the U.S.
“We are honored to be working with NV Energy and the Moapa Band of Paiutes to bring this remarkable project to fruition,” said Martin Hermann, CEO and Founder of 8minutenergy. “The Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm will deliver abundant and affordable energy to about 180,000 Nevada homes, providing them with reliable clean power. This will also be the largest standalone project in 8minutenergy’s portfolio, and we are dedicated to upholding our track record of finalizing the plant’s operation on-time and on-budget.”
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“We’re proud to be leading the way in supporting the development of clean solar energy on tribal lands,” said Gregory T. Anderson Sr., Chairman of the Moapa Band of Paiutes Tribal Council. “Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm will be special in particular as it’s being built beside a retiring coal plant on our lands, signifying the affordability and importance of renewable energy. We hope to shepherd the way for many other tribes to adopt clean power.”
Eagle Shadow Mountain will be the second solar farm developed on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. The first one was our Project of the Year in 2016. The Moapa Band of Paiutes has become a national clean energy leader and will host in excess of 600 MW of solar on the 72,000-acre reservation. The Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm will be built on non-agricultural land using environmentally sensitive construction.
“We are delighted to be working with 8minutenergy and other top-tier solar developers to bring over one gigawatt of low-cost clean solar power and energy storage to our customers in Nevada,” said Paul Caudill, CEO of NV Energy. “This landmark group of projects will help diversify our state’s electricity generation portfolio at industry-leading costs. We calculate that the direct investment in Nevada’s economy, which includes the cost of construction, will be greater than $2 billion.”
Subject to final approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the project will commence construction in mid-2020, and be operational by the end of 2021. Eagle Solar Mountain Solar Farm will have an annual production capacity of over 900 million kilowatt hours (kWh) once complete, enough energy for more than 180,000 homes when producing, and will reduce carbon emissions by more than 600,000 metric tons each year. The project’s development and construction is also expected to create well over 600 jobs in Clark County.
— Solar Builder magazine
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