NV Energy Adding 1 GW Each of Solar, Energy Storage in Nevada

Nevada-based utility NV Energy said it plans to add more than 1 GW of capacity from both solar power and battery energy storage to its generation portfolio by the end of 2027. The company, which includes Las Vegas in its service territory and is part of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, unveiled the additional resources in its latest integrated resource plan (IRP) recently filed with state regulators. “This is our path forward and these are our priority projects to meet the present and long-term needs of our current and future customers,” said Doug Cannon, NV Energy president and CEO. “The requested resources present a balanced portfolio that will reduce NV Energy reliance on expensive and unreliable market resources and will position Nevada to continue to provide reliable energy services at a cost that is below the national average and is more than 50% cheaper than energy rates paid by residents of California.” NV Energy also said it wants to add 400 MW of natural gas-fired peaking units that would support the power grid during periods of high demand. The utility said the peaking plants would help reduce energy costs for customers, and noted the units would be designed to burn hydrogen in the future.

Solar and Battery Storage

The IRP includes power purchase agreements for three facilities:

• Dry Lake East, a proposed project 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas in Clark County, would have 200 MW of solar generation capacity, along with a 200-MW battery with a four-hour duration (800 MWh). It is expected to be in service by year-end 2026.

• Boulder Solar III, a proposed 128-MW solar project in Boulder City, is expected to be in-service in June 2027. The site also will include a 128-MW battery with a four-hour duration (511.4 MWh).

• Libra Solar is a 700-MW solar power installation that would include a 700-MW battery with four-hour duration (2,800 MWh). It is planned for a site about about 20 miles south of the Fort Churchill substation in Yerington, near the Mineral County/Lyon County border. It is expected to come online by year-end 2027.

The 400 MW of additional gas-fired capacity would be co-located at the North Valmy Generating Station, which is a 522-MW coal-fired power plant. The units are expected to be available beginning in 2028, sending electricity to northern sections of Nevada. The coal-fired units are expected to be retired next year. NV Energy has several solar power projects in its portfolio, many of them tied to PPAs. —Darrell Proctor is a senior associate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).