LOS ANGELES & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--8minute Solar Energy, LLC (“8minute”), the largest solar and storage developer in the U.S., NV Energy and the Moapa Band of Paiutes today announced that 8minute has been chosen by NV Energy to develop the largest solar plus storage project ever built in Nevada and one of the largest in the world. The Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center will include a 475MW-dc (300 MW-ac) solar array with 540 MWh of Li-Ion battery energy storage and will be built in Clark County on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 30 miles north of Las Vegas. The project will be the largest solar plus storage center in Nevada, as well as the largest solar plus storage center built on tribal land in the United States to date. Southern Bighorn’s power will be fully dispatchable; able to provide power throughout the day and evening peak times.
“We’re proud to be working with NV Energy and the Moapa Band of Paiutes on this innovative project to deliver low-cost dispatchable clean power for Nevada’s residents and businesses. This is our second project working with them both, and together we’ve been able to deliver fantastic value once again. Southern Bighorn will deliver clean power at an average price (including Time of Delivery Adjustments) of about $35 per MWh, which is below the cost of fossil fuel based generation. For a solar PV plant, incorporating a 540MWh Li-Ion battery system, this is truly industry leading,” said Tom Buttgenbach, President and CEO, 8minute Solar Energy. “Nevada is becoming a solar leader and, with 900 megawatts of solar projects, 8minute is proud to be the state’s number one solar provider.”
"We are delighted to be working with 8minute again to bring low-cost clean solar power and energy storage to our customers in Nevada,” said Doug Cannon, President and CEO of NV Energy. "We’re committed to solar and clean energy that reduces costs for our customers. The Southern Bighorn Solar Plus Storage Center helps us to continue to reduce carbon emissions, to diversify our state’s electricity generation portfolio and do so at industry-leading low costs.”
Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center will be built on non-agricultural land using environmentally sensitive construction near a retired coal plant. When complete, it will be the fourth solar project developed on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. The Moapa Band of Paiutes has become a national clean energy leader and will host over 1 gigawatt of solar on their 72,000-acre reservation.
Subject to final approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the project will commence construction in mid-2022, and be operational by the end of 2023. Southern Big Horn Solar Center will have an annual production capacity of over 1 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) once complete, enough energy for more than 180,000 homes—more than 455,000 people--when producing, and will also reduce carbon emissions by more than 600,000 metric tons each year. During the most valuable summer peaking hours, 8minute has engineered the combined solar + storage facility to produce at a capacity factor of more than 65%. The project’s development and construction is also expected to create well over 600 jobs on the Moapa Indian River Reservation within Clark County.
About NV Energy
NV Energy provides a wide range of energy services to 1.4 million customers throughout Nevada and more than 43 million tourists annually. NV Energy, Inc. is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, do business as NV Energy. NV Energy is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Information about NV Energy is available on the company's website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via nvenergy.com.
About 8minute Solar Energy
8minute Solar Energy (“8minute”) is the largest independent developer of solar PV and storage projects in the United States. Founded a decade ago by President and CEO Tom Buttgenbach, 8minute has over 15 GW of solar and storage under development in California, the Southwest, Texas, and the Southeast, with more than 2 GW of solar power plants now in operation. The company has also developed the largest solar plant in the nation, the 800 MW Mount Signal solar farm in California. 8minute has one of the best development teams in the industry with a track record of delivering above-market profitability and strong financial returns on utility-scale solar and storage projects. For more information, please visit www.8minute.com.
About The Moapa Band of Paiutes
The Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation are a federally recognized tribe of Paiute, who live in southern Nevada on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. The tribe is an international solar leader with more than a gigawatt of solar planned or in operation on Tribal land.
