Interior Department approves one of the largest solar projects on earth, largest in U.S. history

The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved a proposal from Solar Partners XI, LLC, to build a 690 megawatt photovoltaic solar electric generating facility and ancillary facilities northeast of Las Vegas, setting the state for the eighth-largest solar project in the world.

Known as the Gemini Solar Project, when finished, it will also be the largest solar project in the United States. It will cost around $1 billion to create, but after that, should provide enough power to support 260,000 homes across the Las Vegas and Southern California areas. Between its renewable and storage capacity, though, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) anticipates it could provide more than one gigawatt of total capacity. Construction is set to begin in 2021.

“Despite the challenges of the coronavirus, we’re pleased to see that Nevada will soon be home to one of the biggest solar projects in the world,” Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said. “The solar industry is resilient and a project like this one will bring jobs and private investment to the state when we need it most. We appreciate the work that the Trump Administration has done to make this historic project a reality.”

In the Record of Decision issued by Interior last week, a right-of-way grant was provided for the project, which will include both overhead and underground collector lines, a two-acre operation and maintenance facility, three substations, access roads, perimeter fencing, water storage tanks, drainage control features, on-site water well or new water pipeline, improvements to existing facilities for interconnection purposes and a 380 MW solar-powered battery system. All of this will be built in two phases, with completion expected as early as 2022.

Throughout construction, between 500 and 700 construction workers will be employed on average and an estimated $712.5 million injected into the economy through wages and total output. As to output, Interior projects the facility will be capable of offsetting the greenhouse emissions of around 83,000 cars annually. Long-term monitoring of the site will also be required for environmental purposes.

“Our economic resurgence will rely on getting America back to work, and this project delivers on that objective,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said.