The Moapa Southern Paiute Solar Project is a 250

megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after Jame ...

(MW_AC)

photovoltaic power plant A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building- ...

located in

Clark County, Nevada Clark County is located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,265,461. Most of the county population resides in the Las Vegas Census County Divisions, which hold 1,771,945 people as of the 2010 Census, acros ...

on the Moapa River lands of the

Southern Paiute people The Southern Paiute people are a tribe of Native Americans who have lived in the Colorado River basin of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory and ha ...

. The project was commissioned in March 2017 and was constructed by

First Solar First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of solar panels, and a provider of utility-scale PV power plants and supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling. First Solar uses rigid th ...

and its sub-contractors in close consultation with the Moapa Band of Paiutes and federal agencies. It is the first utility-scale solar project to be located on North American tribal lands, and is anticipated to evolve as a model for similar future economic and environmental partnerships.

Project details

The project is located 30 miles north of

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

on the 72,000 acre (112 sq mile) Moapa River Indian Reservation. It is the culmination of seven years of planning, including a final 2.5 years of construction work. The project entailed clearing a total of approximately 2,000 acres (2.2 sq miles) in dispersed sections that minimize the desert habitat and tribal cultural impacts. 115 Native Americans were employed throughout the development, including about 50 local tribal members, along with another 485 local subcontractors during the construction phase. The project was originally developed by K Road Power Holdings, which was acquired by First Solar in 2013. TerraSmart provided foundation and racking services, and First Solar provided nearly 3.2 million CdTe thin film solar panels. The new facility also includes an onsite substation, and a new 5.5 mile 500 kV transmission line that connects to Nevada Power Company's Crystal Substation, serving energy users in California. First Solar Energy Services is providing ongoing operations and maintenance support, sustaining five permanent jobs which currently include two tribal members who are certified electricians. The plant is currently owned by Capital Dynamics. The power is being sold to the

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility in the United States with 8,100 megawatts of electric generating capacity (2021-2022) and delivering an average of 435 million gallons of water per day to more ...

(LADWP) under a 25-year

power purchase agreement A power purchase agreement (PPA), or electricity power agreement, is a contract between two parties, one which generates electricity (the seller) and one which is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer). The PPA defines all of the commercial te ...

Environment considerations

Based on the Environmental Impact Statement and Biological Opinion rendered in connection with

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

, First Solar has provided the Tribe, together with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, with more than $1.6 million in mitigation fees for protection of the

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

desert tortoise The desert tortoise (''Gopherus agassizii''), is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, and to the Sinaloan thornscr ...

. Commissioning of the plant was shortly preceded by closure of the 558 MW coal-fired Reid Gardner Generating Station bordering the reservation. The project also accelerated LADWP's California-mandated withdrawal from support of the coal-fired

Navajo Generating Station Navajo Generating Station was a 2.25-gigawatt (2,250 MW), coal-fired power plant located on the Navajo Nation, near Page, Arizona, United States. This plant provided electrical power to customers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. It also ...

Tribal benefits and opportunities

The project is providing long-term revenue for the Tribe through land lease payments, consulting fees, and an increase in sales of goods & services. It has also increased education on energy assistance programs aimed at stabilizing tribal member's electricity costs. The Maopa Band of Paiutes is currently pursuing additional renewable energy opportunities, including development of the 300 MW

Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm is a planned 420 MWp (300 MWAC) photovoltaic power station north of Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. The facility is being developed by 8minutenergy Renewables a ...

Electricity production

Moapa Travel Plaza microgrid

A ceremony to inaugurate completion of a solar-hybrid

microgrid A microgrid is a local electrical grid with defined electrical boundaries, acting as a single and controllable entity. It is able to operate in grid-connected and in island mode.

system for the Tribe's travel business center and largest employer at the

Valley of Fire Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly located south of Overton, Nevada. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting s ...

exit off

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Cana ...

north of

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...

was separately held on April 8, 2014, by the Tribal Council, and joined by officials from the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

(USDA) and system developer Stronghold Engineering. This system includes nine 28 kW

Soitec Soitec is an international company, based in France, that manufactures high performance substrates used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Soitec's semiconductor materials are used to manufacture chips which equip smartphones, tablets, c ...

CPV CX-S530 trackers, battery storage, and three diesel generators meeting Tier 4

EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

emission standards Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set quantitative limits on the permissible amount of specific air pollutants that may be released from specific sources over ...

. The $2.38 million USDA-funded project is expected to save approximately $700,000 and 3.6 million CO₂ pounds in annual fuel costs.

References

External links

VIDEO:Moapi Southern Paiute Solar Commissioning Ceremony

Tribal Renewable Energy Workshop Presentation
{{Solar power in the United States Solar power in the Mojave Desert Photovoltaic power stations in the United States Solar power stations in Nevada Buildings and structures in Clark County, Nevada