8minute To Build 475 Megawatt/540 Megawatt-hour Solar + Storage Project

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8minute Solar Energy announced on Tuesday that it has been selected to develop the largest solar plus storage project ever built in Nevada, and one of the largest in the world, measuring in at a whopping 475 megawatts (MW) for the solar array and 540 megawatt-hours (MWh) for the battery storage system.

Image Credit: 8minute Solar Energy

The Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center will be developed between 8minute Solar Energy, the largest solar and storage developer in the United States, NV Energy, and the Moapa Band of Paiutes. Set to be built in Clark County on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 30 miles north of Las Vegas, the Southern Bighorn will not only be the largest solar plus storage center in Nevada but will also be the largest solar plus storage center built on tribal land in the United States to date.

Southern Bighorn will be built on non-agricultural land near a retired coal plant and will use environmentally-sensitive construction. Upon completion, it will be the fourth solar project developed on the Moapa River Indian Reservation and generate enough electricity for the equivalent of 180,000 homes, while reducing carbon emissions by more than 600,000 metric tons annually.

Given the capacity of both solar array and battery storage system, Southern Bighorn’s power will be fully dispatchable and 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,” said Tom Buttgenbach, President and CEO, 8minute Solar Energy. “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. 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 requires final approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada before construction can commence, but construction is currently expected to begin in mid-2022, and be operational by the end of 2023.


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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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