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Reid Statement On Silver State South Solar Project Approval

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February 19, 2014 | Press Releases

Washington, D.C. Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement today on the approval of the 250 megawatt Silver State South solar project by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Silver State South project is located outside of Primm and will be located adjacent to the 50 megawatt Silver State North project that began generating electricity in 2012. Clean energy continues to bring jobs and economic growth to Nevada. The Silver State South project will generate clean, renewable energy for 80,000 homes per year, hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars in new tax revenue, and cleaner air by reducing carbon pollution by 150,000 metric tons of per yearequivalent to the emissions from 30,000 cars. Nevada must continue to build on these successes by working with all levels of government and the private sector to help take advantage of our year-around sunshine, strong wind, and geothermal resources. I applaud First Solar for its diligent work with stakeholders to develop this project while also avoiding and mitigating impacts to sensitive desert tortoise habitat and I commend Secretary Jewell for her ongoing work to prioritize the development of renewable energy resources on public lands throughout the West. BACKGROUND ON SILVER STATE SOUTH SOLAR PROJECT The 250 Megawatt (AC) Silver State South solar project has been undergoing applicant study and agency review and permitting for approximately six years. Silver State South is located on federal public lands near Primm, Nevada, in the Ivanpah Valley. The project was sited in this area because of the excellent solar resource, access to available transmission, and location in an area that already has existing impacts including a golf course, casino, roller coaster, power plant, railroads, utility corridors, existing solar projects and the I-15 interstate highway. When fully operational, the project will generate enough clean solar energy to serve the needs of about 80,000 homes per year, displacing approximately 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annuallythe equivalent of taking about 30,000 cars off the road. The project will create approximately 1.35 million man-hours of work at family wage jobs during construction and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits to Clark County. ###

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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid >> Reid Statement On ...

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