Environment | Opinion

Opinion: Help Moapa Band bring solar energy to more consumers

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Leaders of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians broke ground on a solar project in March. Photo from Department of Energy

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada) urges support for an energy agreement between the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians and a coal-fired power plant:

The Moapa Paiutes, already the nation’s first tribe to build and operate a large-scale solar project on reservation lands, will host a second solar plant generating 200 megawatts of clean, reliable, solar energy-generated power. This is an incredible story happening in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. The Moapa Paiutes, while working with and inspiring other leaders, are now taking energy choice into their own hands. Their solar project will create hundreds of jobs and become a lasting source of income for the tribe. They have taken a leadership role in becoming an example of how tribal communities can leverage clean energy for everyone’s benefit.
But this solar project still has to overcome one last big hurdle. In order for it to move forward, the Moapa Band of Paiutes needs to partner with a utility that can buy and distribute their clean power to consumers. Taking a new direction, Reid Gardner’s last remaining owner, NV Energy, wants to be that utility and has offered a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to do just that.
Last year, state lawmakers passed legislation that required the retirement of Reid Gardner and stipulated that 350 MW of renewable energy replace a significant amount of its power. In addition, NV Energy was directed to propose 550 MW of additional cleaner resources. Recently, it offered a plan to, in part, meet this demand by purchasing a 200 MW solar array to be constructed on the Moapa Band of Paiutes’ reservation. NV Energy’s proposal is commendable, and it will help the tribe while ensuring that requirements set for Reid Gardner are met and helping Nevada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Get the Story:
Rep. Steven Horsford: Paiute-NV Energy solar plant merits approval (The Las Vegas Review-Journal 10/27)