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Silver State South Solar Energy Center, a 250MW solar project located in Clark County, Nevada, has been commissioned operation by its owner and operator, NextEra Energy Resources, and its developer, First Solar. The project is capable of generating enough clean electricity to power around 80,000 households.
Covering approximately 2,000 acres of federal lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the 250MW solar energy center comprises more than 3.4 million First Solar thin-film solar PV panels mounted on single-axis trackers. The panels installed with tracking system enables the facility to maximize its power generation, being expected to offset approximately 150,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.
"Nevada has plentiful sunshine, and with the Silver State South Solar Energy Center we are harvesting that valuable resource for the benefit of everyone in this region," said Armando Pimentel, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, which will own and operate the solar energy center. "From the jobs and tax revenue it is creating, to the clean energy it will generate over the next 30 years, this is a project that all can take great pride in."
NextEra Energy Resources has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Southern California Edison so that the energy generated from Silver State South will serve the power traders’ consumers, starting this year.
This project contributes to local economy as well. During the construction phase, First Solar hired more than 2,100 workers for the project, with most of them were from local area. The Silver State South Solar Energy Center is expected to generate more than $78 million in property taxes to benefit local schools, first responders and other essential services in Clark County, over its operational life.
(Photo: 550MW Desert Sunlight solar power plant in California, developed by First Solar and owned by NextEra Energy, GE Energy Financial Services, and Sumitomo Corporation of America. Source: First Solar)