US$1.1 billion solar-plus-storage project given go-ahead in USA 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) have issued the final Record of Decision for the US$1.1 billion, 690 MW AC Gemini Solar and Battery Storage Project located in Clark County, Nevada. The project will be developed by Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners and Arevia.

This Record of Decision formally concludes the federal authorization and environmental review process for Gemini and is based on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued in December 2019 under the National Environmental Policy Act. The EIS evaluated the potential impact of the physical, cultural, and human environments, discussed alternatives and mitigation measures, and selected a preferred alternative for the project.

David Scaysbrook, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Quinbrook said, “This final decision officially clears the pathway for Quinbrook, and our development partners at Arevia, to accelerate completion of detailed project designs and procurement plans for one of the world’s largest renewables projects ever undertaken. Gemini offers the opportunity to showcase, at an unprecedented scale, what we believe to be one of the most promising technological advances in coupling battery storage to utility scale solar power to produce low cost renewable energy over the long term. Gemini will benefit all Nevadans by supporting jobs, stimulating the local economy and capturing the state’s abundant solar resources to deliver low-cost, renewable power to NV Energy customers.”

Gemini is one of the largest projects of its kind globally, with plans to host 690 MW of solar PV arrays located on up to 7,100 acres, coupled with the latest in battery storage infrastructure. The project will capture and store solar energy during the day and dispatch it during the early evening peak period when power demand surges in Nevada. The addition of battery storage to large scale solar generation will enable the long-term reduction of carbon emissions from existing power generation sources.

In June of 2019, Gemini signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NV Energy and in December 2019, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) granted approval of the PPA.

Once built and operational, Gemini is expected to help reduce carbon emissions by 1.5 million tons per year.