Google and NV Energy propose major solar-plus-storage project in Nevada

January 9, 2020
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Source: Christopher Bowns, Flickr

Nevada utility NV Energy and Google are plotting a major solar-plus-storage facility outside of Las Vegas in a deal being billed as the largest battery-backed solar corporate agreement in the world.

The proposal was filed in December to Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) by Nevada Power Co, a subsidiary of NV Energy.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

While the length of the proposed power purchase agreement (PPA) and project load capacity were redacted from the public filing, market intelligence firm S&P Platts reported a 350MW solar plant backed by a 250-280MW battery storage system on Wednesday.

The energy will power Google’s US$600 million Henderson data centre near Las Vegas, which is scheduled to start operations in mid-2020.

If approved, the solar-plus-storage facility would be commissioned by late 2023, according to the filings.

While construction of the renewables plant is underway, the agreement stipulates that NV Energy will provide Google with wholesale market energy “priced at an appropriate index pricing” or with capacity from other NV Energy generators.

Once the solar-plus-storage plant is live, NV Energy will have the right to buy any excess power back from Google.

In early December, the utility – a near-monopoly in Nevada – secured approval from the PUC for a 1GW+ trio of solar projects that would be collectively backed by 590MW of storage. Those plants are set to come online by 2024 and are being developed by 8minute Solar Energy, EDF Renewables and a Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners – Arevia Power partnership.

NV Energy is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway group, the conglomerate run by Warren Buffett that owns Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, Dairy Queen and parts of Kraft Heinz Company and American Express.

A prehearing conference for the Google power procurement deal will be held on 23 January.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2028 and beyond.
13 October 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 13-14 October 2026 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023, 2024 and 2025 were a sell out success and 2026 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

April 2, 2026
Monocrystalline passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) modules saw a 20% increase in average price in the US, according to Anza.
April 2, 2026
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy has produced 2.79GW of solar modules in 2025, in line with its guidance of 2.6-3GW for the year.
Premium
April 2, 2026
Analysis: Some in the US solar industry are positioning tariffs as a silver bullet for manufacturers, but it may not be as straightforward as that.
April 1, 2026
Four giant solar ‘wings’ will provide power for the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years, due to launch later today.
March 31, 2026
GameChange Solar has completed testing of its Genius Tracker system, which yielded results of no 'meaningful power loss' in most tests.
March 30, 2026
The scope of supply chain diligence for PV projects in the US seeking tax credits has expanded, requiring greater vigilance in procurement, writes Intertek CEA's Paul Wormser.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
October 13, 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
November 3, 2026
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland