Solar fields could be banned in Pahrump, under county commission’s proposal

With solar development on the upswing, many companies are eyeing lands throughout Nye County but not everyone is happy with the idea of large-scale solar fields being built in their backyards.

The past year has been rife with hostility on the part of Pahrump Valley residents, who have come out in droves to protest against an array of proposed solar projects, both on private lands and those administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The public’s opposition to these proposals has become absolutely clear and now the county is taking action to restrict solar development entirely within Pahrump. In addition, new regulations are to be established for the other towns located in Nye County, based on what those residents wish to see for their own communities.

The new regulations were a focus of discussion during the Nye County Commission’s Oct. 4 meeting, at which Nye County Planning Director Brett Waggoner was seeking direction as to how those regulations should be created.

Commissioner Debra Strickland began by recommending that the county prohibit all photovoltaic solar development within the Pahrump Regional Planning District, unless a special waiver is obtained. “I just think we are so done within this regional planning district,” she stated. “And I am not the first to say it, it’s been said by others.”

Commissioner Leo Blundo inquired as to what Strickland thought about such development in areas outside of Pahrump, such as Amargosa, Beatty and Tonopah. She replied that each of those communities needed to let the county know how they stand on the subject so regulations can be made specific to those areas. Commission chair Frank Carbone suggested that a buffer zone be included within the new code, regardless of whether solar development is permitted in any other town in the county. This way, it would ensure that the fields do not encroach too far upon residential zones.

Carbone said he has been talking with the director of the Bureau of Land Management and the agency is eager to know exactly what the county’s stance is, as well, so he would like the county to begin drafting a detailed map of the boundaries that might be established. This can then be brought back before the board for further consideration. To facilitate the creation of such a map, the county needs to start the process of collecting feedback from the individual town boards to determine just where those boundaries will be.

“We know we don’t want anything in [Pahrump] but we need to give [solar developers] boundaries around our community so they know how far they can go, at least in our county,” Carbone said.

Waggoner remarked that he believes there will be a mix of opinions among the various towns, stating, “I do believe it’s going to require far more than a map with boundaries, it’s going to require code amendments.”

He added that the county would need to be careful as it moves forward, cautioning that there could be litigation as a result of newly instituted limitations. “And that’s where we’re going to have to work with the DA’s office to make sure it’s properly done so it doesn’t cause us problems, lawsuits and that kind of stuff down the road. Especially when it comes to private property owners,” he said.

At this time, there are more than a dozen pending and proposed solar developments pegged for public lands in southern Nye County alone, six of which are within or border the Pahrump Valley. To help stem the flow of solar immediately, the county approved a code amendment earlier this year that now requires all solar developments to apply for a Special Use Permit through the county. The new regulations are intended to bolster that previous action.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com.