Leaders from the Biden-Harris Administration recently announced significant progress on several renewable energy projects in Nevada, aimed at creating jobs, lowering energy costs, and advancing the administration’s clean energy goals.
Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Laura Daniel-Davis, and White House National Climate Advisor, Ali Zaidi, outlined the steps taken to develop new transmission lines and solar facilities, which are crucial for supplying clean energy to the Western electric grid.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is finalizing two major projects, namely the Greenlink West Transmission Project and the Libra Solar Project, which together will unlock up to 4.7 GW of clean energy, enough to power nearly five million homes.
The Greenlink West Transmission Project will create a new transmission network spanning from North Las Vegas to Reno, passing through Clark, Esmeralda, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Storey, and Washoe counties. The project, which involves multiple federal, state, Tribal, and private lands, could transmit up to 4 GW of clean energy. The BLM has issued a Record of Decision following a comprehensive environmental review that began in 2023.
The Libra Solar Project, also approved by the BLM, will be developed on 5,778 acres of public lands in Mineral County, Nevada. Once complete, the project will generate and store up to 700 MW of clean energy, enough to power more than 212,000 homes. The project includes both a solar power facility and a battery energy storage system, making it the largest solar-plus-storage project in Nevada and one of the largest in the country.
In addition to these approvals, the BLM has opened public comment periods for two other significant clean energy proposals. The Greenlink North Transmission Project proposes a 210-mile-long transmission corridor that could unlock another 4 GW of renewable energy across White Pine, Eureka, Lander, and Churchill counties. The Bonanza Solar Project, a 300-MW solar facility with battery storage, is proposed for 5,133 acres near Las Vegas and will include a 5.4-mile transmission line.
