US BLM issues right-of-way for Dry Lake East Energy Center Solar Project in Nevada

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has granted a right-of-way (ROW) for the Dry Lake East Energy Center Solar Project, a new solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) in Clark County, Nevada. The project, situated in the Dry Lake East Designated Leasing Area, is designed to generate up to 200MW of solar power and provide up to 600MW of BESS reliability for the Nevada grid via the Harry Allen Substation.

The development will include a three-mile generation-tie transmission line co-located with existing lines from the on-site project substation to the Harry Allen Substation. Covering 1,635 acres, the project is located ten miles northeast of Las Vegas on public lands managed by the BLM.

Since the project plans and environmental assessment began in 2018, the BLM has engaged with the public, local, state, and federal agencies, as well as tribal governments. The ROW has been issued to Boulevard Associates, which will oversee the construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of the Dry Lake East Energy Center Solar Project. BLM Las Vegas Field Manager Bruce Sillitoe stated that the project will support a clean energy economy for Nevada and the nation while creating job opportunities for local communities.

This project joins other significant energy initiatives in Nevada, such as the Reid Gardner BESS in Moapa, one of the state’s largest, with a 220MW capacity. The Reid Gardner BESS began commercial operations in April, led by Energy Vault and NV Energy.

In April, the Department of the Interior announced the permitting of 25 GW of clean energy projects, including solar, wind, geothermal, and transmission lines. As of July, the BLM is processing an additional 70 utility-scale clean energy proposals across the western U.S., which could produce over 32 GW of renewable energy. The agency is also reviewing nearly 170 applications for solar and wind development and over 40 applications for solar and wind energy site testing. The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, primarily located in 12 western states.