Townsite Solar 2 project approved outside Boulder City

FILE – A man stands at the end of a solar panel array at a solar project site, Sept. 15, 2016, on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 40 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The U.S. Department of Energy hopes to use nearly $15 million in federal grants to boost clean energy development at tribal colleges and universities around the country. (AP Photo/John Locher,File)

by: Greg Haas

Posted: Sep 27, 2023 / 03:31 PM PDT

Updated: Sep 27, 2023 / 03:31 PM PDT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The second phase of a solar farm outside of Boulder City was approved Tuesday by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Townsite Solar 2 will be built on 76 acres four miles southwest of Boulder City, just west of U.S.95 south of Las Vegas. It will add 19 megawatts (MW) of power generation capacity to the power grid, and is expected to include battery storage capable of storing 35MW of power.

It relatively small compared to existing solar power generating facilities already in place to the south in Eldorado Valley.

“This project will tangibly contribute to a clean energy economy and create jobs for our community,” BLM Las Vegas Field Manager Bruce Sillitoe said. “We appreciate the public involvement and feedback on our draft environmental assessment during the comment period. After carefully considering that feedback, we finalized the environmental assessment and will now offer a right-of-way to the applicant.”

The project was originally proposed by Skylar Energy, according to BLM documents. At 180MW, Townsite Solar is the fifth-largest solar project currently operating in Nevada.

According to data from Global Energy Monitor, massive solar development between Las Vegas and Reno is expected to bring four of the five biggest power generators in the nation as the projects ramp up over the next decade. Right now, all four are in pre-construction phases.

The Townsite Solar 2 project is under a 30-year lease on public land managed by the BLM.