Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 | 1:37 p.m.
The trajectory has been swift:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid visits Chinese green energy company this spring. The firm, ENN, then decides to bring huge facility to Southern Nevada. (Reid had the chairman of ENN, Wang Yusuo, speak at his clean energy summit recently on the Strip.)
By July, ENN has hired lobbyists Richard Bryan, Reid’s former colleague in the U.S. Senate, and Jay Brown, Reid’s longtime crony. And now, the firm, negotiating with the Clark County Commission to purchase the land at a reduced rate not available to the public – courtesy of a state law that permits such actions if an economic development nexus is proved -- wants to expand its purchase from 5,400 acres in Laughlin to 9,000 acres, according to a letter from Bryan on file with the county.
On Tuesday, county commissioners are expected to receive an update on the negotiations and the disposal of the land. The manufacturing facility and solar array is projected to cost billions of dollars and bring thousands of jobs – or so we have been told.
And the commissioners are expected to be given evidence compiled by economic expert Jeremy Aguero that the project will be an economic boon to the area – a requirement of that state law that allows the county to sell the land below fair market value and not present it to the public.
Ten days ago, Bryan informed the county of ENN’s desire to buy 9,000 acres of county land in this
And here’s the agenda item
explaining that two appraisals have been done and that the commissioners could direct staffers to do more – probably appraise the 3,600 acres now desired.
Bryan told me today that the additional acreage is for a “research park” where ENN would be “experimenting with other kinds of technology consistent with renewables.”
If it obtains the site from the county, ENN would still have to sign a PPA – a purchase power agreement – with a company to buy the power.
Might be an interesting discussion Tuesday.
Some background:
Reid goes to China:
Background on the project:
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