Reid: Approved Solar Project Will Create More Than 500 Jobs

Washington, DC – Senator Harry Reid announced Monday that the Department of the Interior has approved a 110-megawatt plant in Nye County that will create more than 500 jobs.

The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will produce enough electricity to power as many as 75,000 homes as Nevada continues to lead the nation in clean energy generation.

“Clean energy projects like Crescent Dunes not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but put Nevadans back to work,” Reid said. “The only way our state’s economy will recover is if we ensure that Nevada takes advantage of its abundant natural resource like solar, wind and geothermal energy to create good paying jobs."

The plant will put 450-500 Nevadans to work during its construction. Once finished, it will create 50 new operations and management jobs. Solar Reserve’s Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC will oversee the construction and management of the concentrated solar thermal power plant.

This announcement comes on the heels of Reid's $50 million in funding for a Solar Demonstration Zone at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) with the goal of creating clean energy jobs and help make solar energy more cost competitive in Nevada.

Sen. Reid says Solar Demonstration Zone will serve as a proving ground to test innovative solar technologies, bringing some of the world’s leading solar companies to Nevada.

Furthermore, Reid announced that seven areas in Nevada were identified as “solar energy zones” that are prime locations for future solar energy projects; permitting for these projects will be accelerated for commercial solar energy development.