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Governor Announces Plan To Step Up State Solar Energy
Taxpayer savings and clean energy are top goals
June 4, 2010 – Carson City, NV – Governor Jim Gibbons today announced plans to dramatically increase the use of solar power by the State of Nevada. Working through the State Energy Office, a Request for Proposals (RFP) is being put together to develop solar energy systems at multiple state agency sites. Generally, the idea is to place solar energy panels on state property, particularly at large state parking lots. Power from these solar energy panels would be used to provide low-cost energy to adjacent and nearby state buildings, resulting in significant savings to taxpayers. Design of the solar arrays would be structured so visitors and state employees could park underneath the solar panels.
“This is a giant step toward my goal of making Nevada a leader in solar energy development” Governor Gibbons said, “We will lead by example and make use of clean solar power for state buildings.” Gibbons also noted, “We will save taxpayers millions of dollars in utility costs.”
The RFP will also include the use of vacant state land for solar energy development, but any solar development on vacant land would require the installation of removable solar energy panels to allow for future development of state buildings or other facilities.
 This solar project presently under construction at the National Guard facility in Carson City is a model for the RFP the Nevada State Energy Office is preparing. (See photo)
The RFP will call for this project to be paid for with 100% private funding. Companies bidding on this project would be paid from state funds presently budgeted to pay for electric power from utility companies. Since the power generated by the solar panels would be less expensive than power from
commercial power generators, state taxpayers will benefit from the savings. The RFP will be seeking total private sector funding at no cost to state agencies or taxpayers.
The Nevada State Energy Office has been working to identify state-owned sites where solar energy panels could be installed. Sites under consideration include:
1. Carson City: NDOT parking lot and parking lot between NDOT and DPS
2. Carson City: Undeveloped land behind DMV & DPS (not including paved areas)
3. Carson City: Bryan building parking lots and undeveloped land east of Bryan building
4. Sparks: Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Complex
5. Reno: Galletti Way DMV
6. Clark County DMV sites: Henderson, Flamingo Road, and Decatur Boulevard
7. Las Vegas: Grant Sawyer building’s parking lots
8. Las Vegas: Parking lots for DETR, B&I, DMV, and NDOA as well as some undeveloped land between E. Sahara and E. St. Louis
9. Las Vegas: Parking lots and some undeveloped land between W. Charleston and W. Oakey Boulevard.
10. Nevada Department of Corrections sites statewide.
Other state properties will be considered for this plan. The RFP is expected to be ready to present to potential bidders by the end of June, 2010.
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