Mega solar company NextEra Energy Inc. eyes Beatty for project

NextEra Energy representative Matt Morris came before the Beatty Town Advisory Board Monday seeking a workshop to discuss the company’s solar energy plans for the area. He joked that he was “taking my life in my hands.”

Most people in the audience were not in favor of a workshop, feeling the issue of the town’s position against solar projects had already been established.

Ann Marchand asked if they were going to have a workshop for every company that proposed a project.

“We’ve already had two workshops and decided our position,” she argued.

Laura Cunningham read some material from magazine articles on the size of NextEra and concluded, “They’re a big company. They don’t need a project next to Rhyolite.”

NextEra Energy, Inc. is a Florida-based powerhouse with about 58 GW of generating capacity, revenues of more than $18 billion in 2020, and about 14,900 employees throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is the largest electric utility holding company by market capitalization and Beatty has been eyed for their next solar project, despite wide opposition from locals.

Kevin Emmerich said that he didn’t believe that the town needed to have workshops with the company but should work with the federal Bureau of Land Management to get the area around Beatty zoned to exclude such projects.

“It is pretty clear that the community doesn’t want it,” Karl Olson said. “We’re not protesting solar. We’re protesting where it’s going. Don’t destroy what’s out there when you have exclusion zones to put it in.”

Attending the meeting online, Nancy Sollinger wanted to know why the company wanted a workshop rather than simply making a presentation at a town board meeting.

A workshop would be “more casual” Morse responded, and would allow a “frank back-and-forth” discussion.

Board Chair Erika Gerling pointed out that the first letter the board had sent out regarding the issue had asked that companies looking to develop projects in the area be required to come before the board and have dialogue with the town.

“We asked them to come, and now they’ve come,” she said. “They’re not going to change my mind,” she added.

Patti Butler argued, “If they’re asking for a dialogue, we should have one. There’s no harm in additional information.”

After all the discussion, the board voted 4-0 (with member Melody Koivu absent) to grant the requested workshop. It is scheduled for 10 a.m. April 23 at the Beatty Community Center.

Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.