NV Energy flips the switch on 50-megawatt solar plant

By Mick Akers

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 | 2 a.m.

The Las Vegas Valley has a new source of solar-powered energy to serve the area.

The 50-megawatt Boulder Solar II plant, southeast of Las Vegas, reached its commercial operation status, NV Energy announced Monday.

Boulder Solar II is the 14th solar energy resource to serve the state and is one of 43 renewable energy projects in Nevada.

Pat Egan, NV Energy’s senior vice president of renewable energy and smart infrastructure, said that the Boulder Solar II project benefits both NV Energy customers and Nevada residents.

“All Nevadans benefit from the economic development associated with the construction of another new renewable energy facility in the state, and the renewable energy credits help encourage major customers with impressive sustainability goals to locate or stay in Nevada,” Egan said.

“Additionally, our company and our customers benefit because these power purchase agreements help diversify our generation portfolio and provide long-term sources of renewable energy and capacity at a predictable and low price,” Egan said.

AEP Renewables LLC, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, owns the facility, while SunPower provides ongoing operations and maintenance services for the facility on behalf of AEP Renewables.

Both Boulder Solar sites feature SunPower Oasis Power Plant Technology, which the company installed. According to SunPower, the system is a fully integrated, modular solar power block that is engineered to rapidly and cost effectively deploy large solar projects while maximizing power generation and optimizing land use.

The Boulder Solar II project came about because of the competitive costs of solar energy and NV Energy’s GreenEnergy Rider program, according to Ty Daul, SunPower’s senior vice president, America’s Power Plants.

“The facility is constructed with high-efficiency SunPower technology and will reliably maximize energy production on that site for decades and utilize Nevada’s abundant, emission-free solar resource,” Daul said. “We are pleased to partner with AEP Renewables and NV Energy on this important project.”