CANDELA RENEWABLES RECEIVES FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR ITS 400 MWAC ROUGH HAT CLARK SOLAR PROJECT IN CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA

Candela Renewables is excited to share that the U.S. Department of Interior has announced that they intend to publish a Notice of Availability of its Record of Decision (“ROD”) for Candela Renewables’ Rough Hat Clark Solar Project, which is sited on approximately 2,469 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) in Clark County, Nevada. The ROD represents the DOI’s final approval and adoption of the Environmental Impact Statement for the project, concluding the BLM’s review of the project under the National Environmental Protection Act. 

“Publication of the Record of Decision is a major milestone for Candela’s Rough Hat Clark Solar Project as it enables construction to commence as currently planned later this year,” said Jim Woodruff, Candela’s Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. “BLM’s thorough review of all aspects of this project under NEPA ensures that the project will adhere to the highest environmental stewardship standards, preserving desert habitat with minimal ground disturbance during construction.”

Candela’s development plan and the ROD ensure that roughly 80 percent of project site will not be graded. This low-impact design preserves the desert tortoise habitat giving the BLM the option to allow the tortoises to return to the site where they can thrive and coexist with the solar project.

Candela has also worked to ensure that the project is water-neutral by contracting to retire water rights in an amount equal to the amount of water used during construction, which is considered to be a first of its kind offset for a solar project in Southern Nevada.

During construction, the project will employ up to 555 workers in the greater Las Vegas area.

In addition to job creation, the project will generate substantial tax revenue of more than $5.5 million annually for Clark County as well as substantial secondary economic benefits for Pahrump and surrounding communities.

Once fully operational, the Rough Hat Clark Solar Project will contribute to federal and regional clean energy goals, generating enough electricity annually to power 133,000 typical Nevada homes using photovoltaic panels to harness the power of the sun.