NV Energy pursues options for phasing out coal-fired power plants
NV Energy continues to seek options for phasing out its coal-fired power plants in Southern Nevada.
The local electric utility on Friday issued a request for proposals on 54 megawatts of capacity as part of its Emissions Reduction and Capacity Replacement plan. Under the two-year-old program, NV Energy is retiring 812 megawatts of capacity at its Reid-Gardner plant in Moapa.
The company said Friday that it is seeking proposals for several options, including construction of a 54-megawatt to 68-megawatt, gas-fired generating unit; a build-transfer option in which another company would build a 54- to 68-megawatt, gas-fired plant that NV Energy could buy once the unit is operational; a build-transfer option for a 140-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility; and other proposals through which NV Energy could buy or partner to build 54 megawatts of renewable generation.
NV Energy retired three of Reid-Gardner’s four generating units in late 2014, replacing them with 496 megawatts of gas-fired generation from two existing plants: the Las Vegas Generating Station and the Sun Peak Generating Station, both in the Las Vegas Valley.
In addition, the SunPower Nellis Air Force Base Solar Array II photovoltaic plant will offset 15 megawatts of coal generation when it opens in December.
NV Energy is scheduled to retire its fourth and final Reid-Gardner unit in 2017, and eliminate its ownership interest in the Navajo Generating Station near Page, Ariz., in 2019.
To see the requests for proposal, visit nvenergy.com/company/doingbusiness/rfps/.