Commissioners approve 4.7-mile transmission line CUP for Libra Solar, add road conditions after public concern

The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 20 approved a conditional use permit (CUP) to allow construction, operation and maintenance of an approximately 4.7-mile, 345-kilovolt generation transmission line to connect the Libra Solar project to the Fort Churchill substation, with conditions aimed at limiting local construction impacts.

The CUP covers about 113.8 acres of five parcels in Mason Valley and applies because this segment of the transmission line falls outside county-designated master plan utility corridors. The board voted to approve the CUP by recorded tally (yes: 3, no: 1) after extended staff presentations, developer testimony, state agency comments and more than an hour of public comment focused chiefly on traffic and road impacts along East Walker Road.

County planning staff told commissioners the request triggers the CUP because the proposed alignment lies outside the county’s broad utility corridor and because the design seeks to avoid sensitive habitat in the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area. Lisa Nash, Lyon County senior planner, said the alignment “is intended to avoid the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area as much as possible and minimize impacts” and noted that county approval would still require a later, more detailed ADR (administrative development review) for construction plans.

Andrew Haskin, Lyon County manager, told the board he concluded East Walker Road qualifies as a public road under Nevada law and historic county records, and explained why staff included road-related mitigation conditions in the CUP. “If it’s not designated on a map as a private road, it is a public road,” Haskin summarized when describing the county’s review of recorded parcel maps and road maintenance records dating to the 1970s.

Libra Solar co-owner Ricardo Grama and project staff described the larger project and mitigation commitments. Grama said Libra is a 700-megawatt photovoltaic project with battery storage and said the transmission segment through Lyon County would be co-located to reduce wildlife impacts. The developer estimated construction-phase road improvements to East Walker Road at about $7.3 million and said the project would implement a worker transportation plan (carpools, park-and-ride, buses/shuttles) required by the BLM environmental impact statement (EIS).

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) testified in support of the proposed northern alignment that avoids the WMA. NDOW representative Astraea Strahan told commissioners the agency “continues to support this northern route alignment” because it reduces direct and indirect impacts to waterfowl, shorebirds, the Mason Valley sportfish hatchery and other wildlife resources, and because retirement of the existing corridor through the WMA is planned with federal agencies.

NV Energy also testified in support. Chloe Chisholm, government relations adviser for NV Energy, said NV Energy has a power purchase agreement with the project and that Libra’s generation and storage will serve Nevada customers and improve northern-grid resource adequacy.

Residents and property owners along East Walker Road and adjacent areas spoke against the project or urged stricter protections. Concerns centered on construction traffic, dust, safety, effects on farming operations and the risk that heavy construction traffic would pass close to homes. Several speakers said peak construction traffic and the duration of work could make nearby homes effectively uninhabitable during construction; others called for denial. Supportive residents said responsible mitigation (paving, dust control, shuttles and traffic management) could bring economic benefit.

Commissioners discussed whether the CUP’s conditions sufficiently mitigate impacts. The approval includes conditions requiring a road maintenance and traffic management agreement, improvements to drainage and cattle guards if required, dust-control measures, and a requirement for a contractor transportation plan that emphasizes alternative transportation (carpools/park-and-ride/buses) during peak construction. County staff clarified the CUP applies only to the transmission line segment in Lyon County; the solar site itself lies in Mineral County and was addressed separately under BLM and Mineral County approvals.

The county planning commission had recommended denial in December (3–4) citing concerns tied to traffic, impacts to neighbors and uncertainty about the realigned route. After additional analysis and agency comments (including NDOW’s letter supporting the northern alignment), the Board of County Commissioners made findings a–g required by county code and approved the CUP subject to the conditions recorded in the motion. Commissioner McLuhle recorded a dissent based on finding g (material detriment to public health, safety or welfare).

Next steps: the developer must comply with the county conditions before construction in Lyon County can begin; the CUP also requires a subsequent ADR to review and approve final construction plans. The project will also need to meet BLM and Mineral County requirements for the solar site and the broader EIS mitigation commitments.

The vote and conditions leave in place the BLM-approved northern route as the preferred alignment from a wildlife and cumulative-impact standpoint, while inserting county-level road protections for East Walker Road and nearby residents.

Ending: Commissioners noted the limited scope of Lyon County’s review—confined to the transmission line in county jurisdiction—and said the adopted conditions aim to reduce short-term construction impacts while accommodating regional energy infrastructure decisions already taken by federal and neighboring county authorities.