The fate of a 6.2-GW cluster of solar energy projects in western Nevada is uncertain following the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to break the group into individual projects for review.
On its National NEPA Register, BLM changed the status of the Esmeralda 7 to “canceled” Oct. 9. The group consists of seven proposed solar projects ranging from 500 MW to 1.5 GW, each with battery storage, on federal land in Esmeralda County.
But the Department of the Interior clarified in an email that “BLM did not cancel the project.” Instead, “the proponents and BLM agreed to change their approach” to project review, the department said.
“The projects were initially submitted as a group,” Interior said. “The developers will now pursue individual applications for their respective projects. This approach ensures focused, thorough assessments of potential impacts on public lands while supporting responsible energy development.”
Interior said the new approach “aligns with the administration’s emphasis on improving permitting efficiency and reducing regulatory burdens.”
It wasn’t clear how the change in the BLM review process might impact project timelines, or whether all the proposed projects will proceed. If completed, several of the individual Esmeralda solar projects would be among the largest in the U.S.
In July 2024, BLM released a draft programmatic environmental impact statement and resource management plan amendment for Esmeralda 7. A 90-day public comment period followed. The completed work will still be useful as individual projects move forward, Interior said.
And at least one project developer plans to forge ahead.
NextEra Energy Resources is developing the Esmeralda Energy Center, described in a November 2023 project overview as 1 GW of solar with battery storage.
“We are in the early stages of development and remain committed to pursuing our project’s comprehensive environmental analysis,” a NextEra Energy spokesperson said in an email. “[We] will continue to engage constructively with the Bureau of Land Management.”
Another project is Lone Mountain Solar, 1 GW of solar and 500 MW of battery storage being developed by Leeward Renewable Energy. A timeline on Leeward’s website shows a 2027 construction start date with projected completion in 2029. A Leeward spokesperson said the company did not have any information to share regarding the impact of changes to the BLM review process.
The other projects are:
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- Gold Dust Solar, 1.5 GW of solar and 1 GW of storage developed by Arevia Power;
- Nivloc Solar, 500 MW of solar with battery storage by Invenergy;
- Smoky Valley Solar, 1 GW of solar with battery storage by ConnectGen; and
- Red Ridge 1 and 2, each 600 MW of solar with battery storage by 335ES 8me.
Developers had planned to interconnect their projects through Greenlink West, NV Energy’s 350-mile, 525-kV transmission line under construction across the west side of the state.
Each solar project would include a tie line connecting to Greenlink West’s Esmeralda substation.
One goal of Greenlink West and Greenlink North, a transmission line planned across northern Nevada, is to open more of the state to renewable resource development. When completed, the two Greenlink lines along with the existing One Nevada Line will form a transmission triangle around the state.
Energy development within transmission corridors such as Greenlink West is expected to drive additional local and regional renewable energy development, BLM said in its draft environmental report.
