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Mar. 20, 2009
Eastley, Borasky visit power plant
By DENISE NELSON and MARK WAITE
Nye County Commissioners Joni Eastley and Butch Borasky, Tonopah Town Manager James Eason and other local officials were part of the group of Nye County representatives who toured the El Dorado power plant near Boulder City Tuesday, March 10. The tour was conducted by Michael Gallaher of Sempra Generation. The El Dorado facility is a co-generation power plant where renewable energy production is paired with more traditional power generation methods. At the Sempra facility, a field of photovoltaic solar panels is paired with a gas-fired power plant. El Dorado's power plant generates 480 megawatts, while the solar field generates only 10 megawatts. Incredibly, the 10 megawatts generated by the solar field is enough to power approximately 6,400 homes. Of particular interest to Eastley and Eason, the solar field operates with a water usage of zero. The El Dorado facility operates uses no water to cool the system. In a county where water requirements often determine the feasibility of a proposed development, this makes the system even more attractive. Both Eastley and Eason are actively pursuing and approaching companies that may have an interest in developing projects in Tonopah and Nye County. The pair are also actively working with the Nevada Development Authority after Nye County recently joined the board of the Las Vegas-based organization, and both met last week in Las Vegas to discuss opportunities in Tonopah and at the Tonopah Airport. Nye County Commissioner Butch Borasky said Boulder City has the benefits of being able to offer solar energy developers private land, sparing them the time of going through the lengthy permitting process with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to obtain property in Nye County. An environmental assessment has already been conducted in El Dorado Valley, which means companies like Sempra Energy can get a permit approved in just six months, he said. "They got the land when it was affordable and easy to get," Borasky said. Boulder City receives about $200,000 annually in revenue from Sempra Energy, he said. Boulder City purchased 107,000 acres from the BLM for $1.3 million in 1995, which equates to $12 per acre. It was originally intended to provide a buffer between Boulder City and growth from the Las Vegas Valley. City officials can't sell the land without voter approval but they can lease it. Next Light, a San Francisco-based renewal energy company, is now negotiating with the city to lease more than 1,000 acres for a 100-megawatt plant, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Darrell Lacy, director of the Nye County Nuclear Waste Project Office, said Nye County has nine sections of land on its request for disposal by the BLM. There's presently 3,000 acres of county land at the Tonopah Airport and 60 acres in the Amargosa Valley Science and Technology Park, he said. The county has an option to buy 300 acres more at the science and technology park in Lathrop Wells, but Lacey said it will cost $3,000 per acre. Lacy said it's frustrating dealing with delays from the BLM. He noted how long it's taken for Valley Electric Association to get a permit to build a 230-kilovolt power line to connect up to NV Energy. "We were just looking at what they had to try to figure out, what their business model is, and pursue it further," Assistant County Manager Pam Webster said. "All we did was see the Sempra side of it and how it worked well. They had land and they had transmission. It was a perfect setup and they were able to accommodate their need." "We said, 'why aren't you in Nye County?'" Webster said. "You better believe I gave him my card," Borasky said. |
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