The Department of Energy and its Nevada National Security Administration Wednesday announced the selection of a solar developer to pursue a carbon-free electric project at the Nevada National Security Site.
Under the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have selected Estuary Power LLC & NV Energy as the most qualified developer from the proposals in response to a request for qualifications.
NNSA made the announcement in a Wednesday press release.
Estuary Power is a Reno-based renewable energy developer and NV Energy is a longtime Nevada electricity provider and regulated utility holding company purchased in 2013 by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
Estuary will now seek to negotiate a realty agreement for the 2,400 available acres at the Nevada National Security Site for a project to generate at least 200 megawatts of carbon-free energy.
This is part of a White House push to wean federal installations off reliance on electricity generated by carbon-emitting fossil fuels. “We are excited about this utility-scale, solar project to make good use of NNSS land, produce clean energy, and bring jobs and innovation to the state of Nevada,” said Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby in the release.
Last week, DOE announced a similar award for two solar developers at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory.
Idaho and Nevada along with the Hanford Site in Washington state, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico are the five DOE nuclear sites in the first tranche of the program.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm kicked off the program in July 2023.