Nye County has agreements with EDEN Inc. but up until now a lot of the county economic development work has been done by BEC Environmental Inc.

Commissioners last week granted BEC Environmental an $80,000 change order, bringing the contract amount to $300,000, for subcontracting work on airport leases and renewable energy. But the BEC Environmental contract was only extended for two more months, to Sept. 1.

"We would love to work with an economic development person because right now we have no defined scope of work. So we have no way of controlling our budget. So to go up and continually ask for change orders is not healthy for us or the county," Eileen Christensen, principal scientist of BEC Environmental, said during a break in the meeting.

BEC Environmental would stay aboard with an economic development director, but Webster said the company would play more of a technical instead of a primary role.

Nye County plans to have an economic development director on board in a few months, Assistant County Manager Pam Webster told commissioners last week.

The director wouldn't be a new position, but possibly someone already in county government who would take on the responsibility, Webster said.

"Now we're at a point where there's a need for a business manager," she said. 'We need to determine as a county how we proceed."

BEC Environmental was originally awarded a $120,000 contract, then awarded a $100,000 first change order, followed by the latest $80,000 change.

In her latest report, Christensen told Nye County commissioners about the need for a multi-modal, multi-purpose utility corridor from Interstate 15 to Pahrump.

One of the benefits of the utility corridor might be a long-awaited hookup up to the Kern River natural gas pipeline.

Christensen said Southwest Gas Co. was approached about the possibility back in 2006, but one of the cost considerations was in permitting the right-of-way from the Interstate 15 corridor.

Pahrump also is hampered by having only one fiber optic line coming into town, she said, which could be included in the utility corridor.

Christensen said permitting of a new Clark County airport in Ivanpah led her to contact the state Department of Transportation about a letter of support for right-of-way from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to build a road from the proposed airport to Pahrump, bypassing the Las Vegas area.

"Considering the level of interest in renewable energy projects, particularly in southern Nye County, we may be able to incorporate electrical lines into that multi-purpose, multi-modal corridor," Christensen said.

Six interconnection agreements have been signed between renewable energy companies interested in building solar and wind power projects and Valley Electric Association, Christensen said. Another company signed an agreement with Sierra Pacific Power in Tonopah, she said.

Christensen said eight separate projects, each in excess of $100 million, could come to Nye County in the next two years.

Christensen said Nye County realized more than $1 million in renewable energy money -- $561,815 in geothermal lease payments from a BLM auction last year along with congressional grants -- since BEC Environmental received the original economic development contract.

She outlined 47 properties or projects targeted for development in her report, including 20 under way and eight new businesses. Seven grants were prepared.

Nye County Commissioner Gary Hollis asked to meet privately with Christensen. Hollis said he wants to know what benefits are actually accruing to southern Nye County.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allocated a $200,000 job training grant to extend the Brownfields cleanup program in Pahrump. Christensen said that money would be used to train employees to work at the proposed federal detention center and at renewable energy projects.

Otherwise, a number of projects detailed in the BEC Environmental report are taking place elsewhere in the county:

* A $42,000 Nevada Cultural Affairs Grant to preserve the Nye County Courthouse in Tonopah;

* $50,000 for a preliminary engineering report on bringing water to the former Barrick Bullfrog Mine outside Beatty;

* A $148,500 congressional earmark to renovate the Tonopah Physical Therapy Center;

* A $65,000 Nevada Division of Environmental Protection grant to demolish the former Gabbs recreation hall;

* $1,530 for a Beatty wind power study;

* And a $492,000 congressional grant to study renewable energy throughout Nye County.

Almost half of the BEC contract expenditures are for renewable energy projects, a third are airport-related, 13 percent are for general economic development and 10 percent for grant preparation.

Christensen said a solar power company signed a lease for the southwestern part of the Tonopah Airport for $12,000 every six months.

If the project doesn't materialize, the county could still use the lease agreement as a standardized agreement for other tenants, she said. The agreement allows a solar developer exclusive rights to explore the area for renewable energy development, as long as the project doesn't interfere with potential air traffic.

Christensen drew kudos from two Nye County commissioners, participating in the video conference from Tonopah.

"I have found you to possess innovative thinking. You're not afraid to reach out and try something new. You have taken our economic development effort into areas I never would've thought of," Commissioner Joni Eastley said.

"I think you've shown here the dollar amount spent out in what you brought in that you are more than worthwhile. We have a lot of naysayers that say consultants are no good, but I think you've proven yourself worthwhile," Commissioner Butch Borasky said.