Rural Nevada solar project nears approval despite opposition
The Nye County Commission approved a special use permit and preliminary development plan for Leeward Renewable Energy's 700-megawatt Copper Rays Solar Project, despite opposition from Commissioner Ian Bayne and conservation advocates. The project still requires federal approval and has raised concerns about impacts to water, energy resources, desert habitat and tortoises; the article also links the project to a previously enacted county ban on data centers and related litigation.
The Nye County Commission voted 4-1 to approve a special use permit and preliminary development plan for the Copper Rays Solar Project, a proposed 700-megawatt solar and battery storage facility on 4,414 acres of federal land near California. The commission was expected to consider the project's development agreement next, while the U.S. Bureau of Land Management still must approve construction. Developer Leeward Renewable Energy estimates the project could generate up to $94 million in tax revenue, $1 million annually in lease revenue and 300 to 400 construction jobs.
Commissioner Ian Bayne, the sole opponent on the commission, questioned the project's compatibility with rural Nye County and its potential effects on water and energy resources. Kevin Emmerich, cofounder of Basin and Range Watch, opposed the project over desert disturbance, air-quality impacts and threats to an estimated 600 to 700 juvenile desert tortoises. Bayne also said residents suspect the solar development could support a future data center, noting that Nye County previously banned data centers and was sued by developers over that prohibition.