NV Energy has agreed to buy electricity from three planned solar projects that will use batteries to store excess power so it can be used later when the sun has set. Projects like this make solar power way more usable, and prices are cheap. Yes, cheap.
“Solar used to be expensive, and batteries used to be expensive — and now it’s cheap. We’re going to see new records set very regularly.”
— Jenny Chase, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
These projects in total will bring 1.2 GW of new power online. Two of them will be on Moapa land north of Las Vegas. Their primary business has been a truck stop on I-15 where cigarettes and fireworks can be purchased cheaply. A few years back they ok’ed a solar facility on their land. All that power is sold in long-term contracts to Los Angeles and is generating millions in revenue for the tribe. These two new sites will sell to NV Energy, also by contact. Thus, the Moapa will have more guaranteed income streams.
The Gemini Solar + Battery Storage will be a behemoth 690 megawatt solar project with the world’s largest battery storage on the planet, a whopping 531 MW and built on federal land near Vegas.
The Arrow Canyon Solar Project will be 200 megawatt with 75 megawatt battery system located on the Moapa Band of Paiutes Indian Reservation.
The Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center, a 300 megawatt solar array with 135 megawatt battery also on Moapa River Indian Reservation.