Pivot Gen updates Planning Commission on proposed Blue Earth Renewables solar and storage project near US 93

Pivot Gen representatives updated the Elko County Planning Commission on a proposed solar and storage project they are developing for Blue Earth Renewables on leased land of the Wine Cup Gamble Ranch north of HD Summit, adjacent to US 93.

Rob Kurula, director of development for Pivot Gen, said the developer holds leases for roughly 1,100 acres that straddle both sides of US 93 but plans to site the project facilities on about 568 acres on the west side of the highway. He said the project is sized at about 74 MW DC (approximately 53 MW AC), the developer is requesting the option to include a battery storage component, and the project area is bounded by US 93, an Idaho Power transmission line, a pipeline and a Nevada Department of Transportation gravel lot. Kurula said the company expects to submit a special use permit application to the county within about a month and projected, if all goes well and a buyer is found, the project could come online at the end of 2029.

Kurula said the team has met with county and state entities including planning and zoning, the Elko County natural resources director, Elko County Fire (Chief Matt Peterson) and Jackpot Fire (Chief Brian Hugel), and Nevada Department of Wildlife. As a result of consultations, the developer said it reduced grading in the design to lessen impacts to native vegetation and wildlife. Kurula said the fence line is proposed to be raised 8–12 inches off the ground so small animals can transit under the fence, and staff and the developer said the site is not within mapped migration corridors. Kurula also said the project layout sets aside land for future mineral exploration and includes a minimum 50-foot fire buffer around the facilities.

On economics, Kurula said financial modeling projects roughly $15,000,000 in property tax contributions to Elko County over the life of the project and that construction would create a significant number of temporary jobs. He said Pivot Gen has not yet secured a power purchaser but that Idaho Power would be a likely buyer given the interconnection; the developer will not proceed with construction without a long-term contract for energy. Kurula also said decommissioning (removing foundations to three feet below grade and reseeding) would be required by county special use permit conditions if the project is not repowered at end of life.

Commissioners and members of the public asked several questions about habitat corridors, fencing, grading, the lifespan of panels and decommissioning, and the scale of projects in comparison to other regional projects. Kurula said the proposed project is a photovoltaic array using standard PV panels (not concentrated solar power technology) and that solar economics have improved as panel costs have declined. He said the developer holds multiple leases in the county (the transcript records varying lease-size figures: Kurula first said about 1,100 acres leased for this site, later referenced 11,000 acres of multiple leases, and later estimated roughly 4,000–5,000 acres across three leases) and characterized this application as a standalone project on the west side of US 93. Kurula said the project would use roughly 568 acres including roads and substation area and reiterated the capacity as DC 74 MW / AC 53 MW.

No application was acted on at the meeting; the presentation was an update during the public comment portion. Staff said any formal special use permit application would trigger detailed review by county staff and likely multiple state and federal agencies, and that the county ordinance treats large renewable projects as special use permits in open space zoning.

Ending: The developer plans to file a special use permit application within about a month; staff warned the review will be complex and involve multiple agency consultations before any action could be taken.