Nevada utility’s approved 100MW plan is first big step towards 2030 storage goals
While a recent study said 10GW of energy storage by 2030 would offer overall benefit to Nevada, NV Energy will move forward with an Integrated Resource Plan: 1,000MW of renewables including 100MW of storage – by 2021.
NV Energy, a Nevada utility owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway vehicle, serves around 1.2 million customers in north and south Nevada, with electricity, as well as millions more tourists.
Just before the Christmas Holiday period in the last two weeks of 2018, regulators in the US state approved NV Energy’s proposal, which had been tabled in June. The plan would double NV Energy’s renewables deployment by 2023, green-lit by the Nevada Public Utilities’ Commission (PUC). NV Energy confirmed in a release that the plan will entail US$2 billion of investment, creating 80 long-term jobs and 1,700 roles during construction.
By the time the projects are completed, expected during 2021, NV Energy would have 3,000MW of renewable energy resources in operation. Wholesale electricity costs are expected to fall as a consequence of the investment in clean energy. The plan includes six projects in the state, while the company also has out a 350MW request for proposals (RFP) for large-scale solar projects.
The utility, one of only two regulated public utilities serving retail customers in the state, already offers incentives for eligible homeowners and businesses to deploy home or commercial & industrial battery storage systems from 4kW to 1,000kW. Depending on system size, up to US$2,000 or US$3,000 could be applied for, with payments capped at US$1,000,000 for every step of the programme.
