Silver State Solar Project, Clark County, Nevada

Approved by the US Secretary of the Interior in October 2010, this project of First Solar Development, Inc., is the second large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) energy plant to be built on public land.  E & E prepared the fast-track, groundbreaking, third-party EIS to address the installation of nearly 3,000 acres of solar panels on an alluvial fan in southern Nevada near Las Vegas.  The intent of the 400-MW project is to meet increasing demands for clean, renewable electrical power in a manner that is consistent with State of Nevada’s SB 372 and AB 03, mandating that 20% of Nevada’s power be from renewable sources by 2015.  Because the EIS was the first of its size to be prepared under the auspices of BLM, its completion required E & E’s development of new analytical approaches to evaluate impacts.

The Silver State project includes construction of solar arrays, new access roads, interconnection transmission lines, a substation, and other infrastructure.  Its quick-reaction schedule was in support of BLM’s efforts to meet the Secretary of the Interior’s policy to accelerate the production of zero carbon energy projects on the public lands.  The EIS attracted significant political and public interest and set precedents for all future solar projects on public lands.  The EIS focused on the analysis of environmental impacts of project construction and operation on several key resource areas:  threatened and endangered species, including the desert tortoise; recreation; and hydrology.  E & E scientists worked closely with BLM and other agency staff to identify appropriate mitigation measures to reduce project impacts.