Letters to the Editor
Reader: Responsible solar development best for state
Nye County needs to have a serious conversation about how we are going to meet our growing need for electricity, and what that means for the electric bills of people who live here.
I recently spoke with the CEO of Valley Electric about whether the growth of data centers and other large electricity users could affect residential electric rates in Pahrump. What I learned surprised me: it doesn’t necessarily matter whether those data centers are built here in Pahrump, elsewhere in Nye County or Nevada, or even Arizona.
As he explained to me, the Southwest operates as a regional electricity market. As electricity demand increases throughout the region, there is more competition for available power. If new power generation doesn’t keep pace with that demand, there will be consequences for residential electricity rates here in Pahrump.
That means banning data centers in Pahrump Valley or Nye County wouldn’t necessarily protect us from the impact of their growing electricity demand. Data centers are being built throughout the Southwest, and their demand for electricity is going to affect the regional power market regardless of whether we allow them here.
We need to think ahead.
Pahrump and Nye County will need more electricity as our population and economy grow. Rather than waiting until demand outpaces supply, we should encourage responsible solar development of new electricity generation here in Nye County. If we don’t stay ahead of the curve, we risk higher electricity costs for residents.
If we are going to build new generation, I believe we should prioritize energy sources that can provide substantial amounts of electricity while minimizing impacts to people, land and wildlife. Solar and wind are among the best options available to us.
That doesn’t mean every solar project should automatically be approved. We should expect developers to use effective, science-based mitigation and to learn from experience with solar projects that are already being built. Due to the Bureau of Land Management’s strict building standards, projects on BLM land generally meet these requirements.
For example, I recently spent time with a BLM biologist who has considerable experience with solar development on public lands. He described mitigation practices being developed and implemented at solar facilities. This includes mounting panels several feet above the ground while leaving much of the existing vegetation in place during installation which can allow vegetation to grow underneath the panels providing benefits for desert tortoises and other wildlife. This also reduces the amount of land that needs to be reclaimed when a project is eventually retired. Perhaps it’s even possible for panels to be installed in such a way to allow continued use of an area by wild horses and burros or potentially located in an arrangement that could avoid blocking access to public lands. These are mitigation measures that could be investigated on a site-specific basis for any proposed solar power plant.
Responsible solar development and stewardship of Nye County’s natural resources do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Every form of energy generation has some impact on the environment and the communities around it. There is no completely impact-free way to produce the electricity we need. But compared with the alternatives, responsibly developed solar has some of the smallest overall impacts. Solar doesn’t require extracting or burning fuel, produces no air pollution during operation, uses relatively little water, and can be designed with measures to reduce impacts on wildlife and surrounding communities. And here in Nevada, where we don’t have coal or natural gas deposits of our own, solar makes even more sense as a way to produce electricity from a resource we have in abundance: sunshine. If we are going to build more electricity generation to meet growing demand, solar deserves serious consideration as one of the least impactful options available to us.
Nye County has a chance to prepare for the energy demands of the future while protecting the qualities that make this county special. Our Board of County Commissioners will choose a balanced approach that encourages responsible energy development, protects our communities and natural resources, and helps keep electricity affordable for the people who live here.
Sid Slone
