Nye County Commission to consider Rough Hat solar project

The Nye County Commission on Thursday will discuss what has become a topic of intense interest and contention in the local community: the proposed Rough Hat Nye County Solar Project.

The project was introduced to the community earlier this year when Candela Renewables started conducting small-scale public outreach in the areas that would be most affected by its proposed solar field. It wasn’t until the subject was taken up by the Pahrump Public Lands Advisory Committee, however, that the proposal truly caught the public’s attention.

Once that happened, a furor of unrest was unleashed, with community members flocking in droves to the committee’s meetings in both October and November to express opposition and one statewide political action committee, Battle Born Patriots, even hosting a formal protest rally just days before the committee was set to decided upon its recommendations to the Nye County Commission regarding the project.

During the Pahrump Public Lands Advisory Committee meeting held Nov. 30, the members of that advisory body addressed whether or not to offer support for the Rough Hat Nye project. After two previous meetings filled with outcry and angry effusions from the public and plenty of pointed questions posed by the committee members themselves, the committee voted unanimously to withhold support for the Rough Hat Nye proposal.

Despite this setback, officials with Candela Renewables told the Pahrump Valley Times that they would continue to move forward with their proposal as they strongly believe that a balance between the company’s bottom line and the community’s concerns can be found. Throughout each of the public lands committee’s meetings, Candela representatives have made every effort to assuage the community angst, addressing the vast array of concerns expressed and insisting that the company would mitigate the negative effects of Rough Hat Nye, without damaging the overall viability of the project.

The solar field is proposed for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, located on the southeastern end of the Pahrump Valley. The edges of the solar field would be within 1,000 feet of several homes in the area, as well as within 750 feet of Hafen Elementary School. Company representatives said its panels won’t be visible from the school or from ground level by those who neighbor the project. Candela Renewables has reduced the scope of its project from 3,400 t0 2,300 acres after hearing feedback from the community.

Commission Chair Debra Strickland, who acts as liaison to the Pahrump Public Lands Advisory Committee and who has observed previous committee meetings in which the proposal was discussed, said she does not support the construction of large-scale solar fields within the Pahrump Regional Planning District.

Other commissioners will have the opportunity to express their stance on the project at the upcoming meeting, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Nye County Commissioners’ Chambers, 2100 E. Walt Williams Drive in Pahrump.

Those who cannot attend in person but would like to comment can utilize the commission’s teleconference system. Call 888-585-9008 and enter conference room number 255 432 824. Those wishing to comment must press *9 to notify administration of their desire to speak.

The Dec. 16 agenda is available online at nyecounty.net.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com.