Developer Avantis outlines proposed Red Ridge solar and storage project near Goldfield

Avantis developers introduced the proposed Red Ridge solar and battery storage projects to the Esmeralda County Board of Commissioners on July 7, saying the combined project capacity would be about 1,000 megawatts spread across roughly 8,000 acres.

"As an owner-operator, if this proposed project is successful, we intend to develop it, own it, and operate it for up to 40 years," Avantis' Alex Salas said, explaining the company's long-term approach to siting and community engagement. Avantis permitting lead Elliot Casper said the developers completed baseline archaeological and biological surveys (including for rare plants and species such as kangaroo rats and migratory birds) and have been working with the Bureau of Land Management on a draft environmental assessment. The team said the BLM documents have not yet been finalized for formal review under NEPA.

Commissioners asked about the proposed footprint and site design. Casper said developers typically submit a broadly drawn application area and then carve out washes, cultural sites, and sensitive habitat during environmental review, so the final fenced or built area is often smaller than the original application. On interconnection, Avantis said it is completing a facility study with NV Energy that would lead to a generator interconnection agreement; the team said they expect that work to progress into next year.

County and public questions focused on water, fire safety, and community engagement. Avantis said water use during construction would likely come from on-site groundwater wells (or, alternatively, trucking water in) and would be limited to grading, dust control and occasional panel cleaning; operational water use would be minimal. On fire risk, Salas described multi-layer protections including remote 24/7 monitoring and design features that isolate battery enclosures. "We think of the battery as a series of almost shipping containers that house the batteries," he said, adding that equipment is designed to contain an incident to a single enclosure and that remote shutdown systems reduce risks.

County Manager Joe Dunn said any development agreement would involve coordination with local fire and road authorities and would require developers to work with the county on training and response plans. Commissioners asked Avantis to keep the county and public informed as BLM and NV Energy processes proceed; Avantis said it will provide public links to BLM e-planning materials and will participate in local outreach such as Goldfield Days.

The presentation was informational; no formal county approval for the project was requested at the meeting.