Major $1B transmission project breaks ground in Southern Nevada
Around 155 miles of 230 kilovolt and 500 kilovolt transmission lines will be added to Nevada’s grid — enough to generate power for 750,000 homes.
Last week, GridLiance West broke ground on the new project in Jean that will include transmission lines across Clark and Nye counties, as well as upgrading and building new substations. The around $1 billion project has been in the works since 2022, with upgraded transmission lines anticipated to be in service by 2028.
The transmission upgrades will be built on the west side of the Spring Mountains from Las Vegas to Pahrump and Indian Springs, according to a news release from the Bureau of Land Management.
“If Nevada is going to continue to compete for industries and investments that will define the next generation of our economy, we need an energy system that’s reliable, resilient, affordable and capable of increased demand is exactly what (NextEra is) doing,” Gov. Joe Lombardo said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
He also gave specific praise to BLM for helping with acquisition of the land, saying “it’s important that we have a good relationship with our federal partners. But it’s even more important when the federal partners actually do something.”
GridLiance West is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Transmission LLC, which is headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla. Valley Electric Association, a Pahrump-based utility, will be the operating partner for the project.
According to data from NextEra, the project will create 500 construction jobs, an estimated $90 million in property and sales tax over the lifetime of the project and $553 million in total annual economic impact from construction and operations.
“These are very hard to get done, and when they do, you’ve got to celebrate,” said Matt Valle, president of NextEra, during the event. “The thing that I’m most proud of as a leader of the transmission group at NextEra, is the way that we brought federal, state, and local community stakeholders together.”
The groundbreaking brought together tribal, county, state and federal representatives, including Lombardo, Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., Assistant Secretary of Electricity for the U.S. Department of Energy Katie Jereza, Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy Director James Humm, Public Utilities Commission of Nevada Commissioner Tammy Cordova, as well as BLM officials.
NextEra worked with environmental specialists and state agencies to reduce impacts on the desert landscape, including the desert tortoises. Additionally, it also worked with the Clark County Department of Aviation to ensure safe passage for planes and the Department of War to ensure it supports military operations.
Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.
