As NV Energy continues to plan its 472-mile Greenlink West transmission line, the Department of Defense has raised safety concerns surrounding a section of the prospective line that travels through restricted military airspace.
NV Energy is the owner of the transmission line. T&D Power, a contracting company owned by MasTec, is the general contractor.
The $4.2B project intends to connect the Las Vegas Valley with the Reno area to create a flow of energy from rural solar farms to urban areas.
The Department of the Interior estimated the transmission line could move roughly 4,000MW, which is enough energy to power roughly 4.8 million homes. The clean energy project is expected to bring thousands of jobs to the Silver State.
While much of the 472-mile development has yet to commence construction, NV Energy has begun on four substations and the transmission line to connect Las Vegas with the Amargosa Valley.
The project has also sparked lawsuits surrounding related solar farm projects. If all goes to plan, Greenlink West is expected to come online in May 2027. (NVBEX: June 3; July 17)
Department of Defense Concerns
Concerns stem from NV Energy’s intent to build more than 24 transmission towers in DOD-restricted areas. The transmission towers could cause safety risks for nearby military operations and the Nevada Test and Training Range, according to the Nellis Air Force Base.
The Nellis Air Force Base went on to say the NTTR holds more than 25,000 missions and 32,000 flight hours on a yearly basis. Representatives from NV Energy said the concerns surround aviation safety lights on the proposed towers.
Public documents filed under the National Environmental Policy Act show NV Energy considered various alternative routes that would not pass through areas with restricted airspace. The current route was selected to avoid AngloGold Ashanti’s planned gold exploration area.
Notably, towers near the restricted areas are in the early stages of the Federal Aviation Administration’s obstruction analysis.
Officials with NV Energy and the NTTR have been discussing the project since April 2021. According to representatives of the Nellis Air Force Base, the Air Force is actively working with the Bureau of Land Management to create a mitigation agreement and liability waiver.
