SunPower Corp. joined utility NV Energy, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Miranda Ballentine and 99th Air Base Wing Commander Colonel Richard Boutwell in dedicating a new 15 MW solar power system that is now operating at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
SunPower designed and constructed the Nellis Solar Array II project over a closed landfill using its Oasis technology, a fully integrated, modular solar power block. The plant is the first large-scale solar resource that is owned by NV Energy and the 11th large-scale solar generating resource serving the utility’s customers.
Nellis Solar Array II is the second large-scale solar project operating on the base, as SunPower also built a 13.2 MW solar field that has been operational since 2007. Together, the two solar projects can meet the energy requirements of the base during daylight hours, according to NV Energy.
“Increasingly, the U.S. military is relying on solar power to ensure a cost-effective, emission-free electricity supply for its operations,” says Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “We congratulate Nellis Air Force Base for its leading commitment to solar, and we are proud to partner with NV Energy on innovative large-scale solar projects like this one that deliver high-performance and long-term value for the utility and its customers.”
The company says approximately 150 jobs were created during construction of the plant and work to strengthen NV Energy’s transmission and distribution infrastructure for the Air Force base.
SunPower adds it is also currently constructing the 100 MW Boulder Solar I solar project under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with NV Energy. A second PPA with the utility, for the 50 MW Boulder Solar II project, was recently approved by state regulators.
