In total, officials are expecting the next 12 years to include a multibillion-dollar renovation at Harry Reid, two off-airport centers to streamline ground transportation and offer more parking, and the creation of the planned Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport.

The Harry Reid International Airport has a 2,800-acre footprint that cannot expand further. The airport is also rapidly approaching its estimated capacity of 65 million annual passengers. In 2024, the airport served more than 57 million people.

The Supplemental Airport is dependent on an environmental impact statement. If approved, construction could begin as early as 2029. This could serve as the “southern campus,” while Harry Reid International would be the “northern campus”. The environmental impact statement is scheduled to be completed around March 2028.

The modernization plan for Harry Reid International would expand Terminal 1 from 39 to 65 gates, create two multimodal centers and redesign airport roadways to separate the two airport terminals.

One multimodal center is planned off Paradise Road south of Tropicana Avenue, while the other is expected to be constructed between Interstate 215 and Sunset Road.

There are also plans to extend the runways and remodel the terminal building at Henderson Executive Airport.

Design efforts for the modernization plan are currently underway but are still in the early stages. While it is too early to provide an accurate cost estimate, officials are predicting the upgrades will be more than the $2.4B Terminal 3 project from 2012.

The upgrades would likely receive funding from bonds supported by user fees. (Source)

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The transmission line, as approved, would run between Nevada’s two largest metropolitan areas: Las Vegas and Reno.

The transmission line is valued at several billion dollars and would allow the state to create a stronger foundation of solar power via mass solar farms. The energy generated at these solar farms would then be transferred to urban centers.

Greenlink West is a complementary project to Greenlink North, which is a 235-mile transmission line being developed to connect Yerington to Ely.

The environmental groups are suing the BLM over allegations of the government entity failing to consider the proposed Esmeralda 7. Esmeralda 7 is a proposed solar facility in Esmeralda County that would be constructed on 185 miles of land. This could potentially be the largest solar farm on the continent.

The plaintiffs went on to claim the Bureau ignored the environmental impact statements and that a more thorough examination should have taken place.

The lawsuit specifically alleges developments could affect fossils protected by the National Park Service Organic Act of 2016. Plans call for the transmission line to cut through the Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument. Notably, while NV Energy is involved in the development, it is not involved in the legal action.

The complaint also argues the BLM is not looking into holistic impacts on local flora and fauna such as the bighorn sheep and desert tortoise.

The transmission line was originally approved under the Biden administration, a representative of which claimed the project is a step toward Nevada becoming a pioneer in green energy.

If construction continues as planned, Greenlink West is set to come online in May 2027. (Source)

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If the airport were to come to fruition, it would be constructed on 6,000 acres in the Ivanpah Valley just north of Primm. Supporters of the airport claim the Harry Reid International Airport does not have the infrastructure needed to keep up with demand.

The Supplemental Airport intends to increase the travel capacity in the region, while also allowing the area to maintain reliable service to promote southern Nevada’s crucial tourism industry. The Clark County Department of Aviation estimated the existing Harry Reid International Airport will reach its full capacity of around 64 million annual passengers by 2030.

An additional airport in the area would be able to service charter, long-haul domestic and international flights. These would, in turn, alleviate some of the stressors facing the existing airport.

The Clark County Department of Aviation originally proposed the additional airport in 2006, but it was stalled due to economic constraints. The Department of Aviation then asked the FAA to suspend work on the environmental review in 2010.

Officials revived the idea earlier this year, and specified construction could consist of developing two runways, a terminal, adequate utilities, roadways and a potential rail line to Las Vegas. No cost estimates have been established. (NVBEX; Feb. 14)

Opponents of the airport claim it could disrupt the national habitats of the desert tortoise and the white-margined penstemon. The penstemon is a small pink flower that grows in four counties throughout the Mojave Desert. It is present in Arizona, California and Nevada.

The Center for Biological Diversity’s Patrick Donnelly said the conservation group will pay close attention to the airport throughout its environmental review process. He went on to say the group will ensure the airport employs proper mitigation measures to avoid biological upheaval.

The FAA and BLM are holding three public scoping meetings in July to obtain testimonies regarding the environmental impact of the airport. The first meeting will be held virtually on July 29, while the other two meetings will be in-person and held on July 30 and 31, respectively. The first is to be held at the East Las Vegas Library, while the second is to be held at Primm Valley Casino Resorts. (Source)

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