Biden administration OKs major Nevada power project

The Biden administration is approving a major electric power transmission project as well as a  solar project in Nevada, it announced Monday.

The Greenlink West Transmission Project will create a system of new power lines from North Las Vegas to Reno. When completed, the project could transmit enough energy for 4.8 million homes.

While power lines technically can support renewable or fossil energy, more power is particularly vital to getting new climate-friendly power onto the grid. 

In addition, the administration approved the Libra Solar Project, which will be able to generate enough power for 212,000 homes, on public lands. The project also includes battery storage for the solar power. 

“Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, we are making critical investments to both strengthen our grid and feed more clean energy to homes and businesses — which will create good-paying union jobs, bolster resiliency, strengthen energy security, and lower Americans’ utility bills,” said White House national climate adviser Ali Zaidi in a statement. 

The approvals come as the presidential race in Nevada remains tight. A polling average from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill shows Harris leading by 0.5 percentage points in the swing state. 

The Biden administration broadly has sought to advance the build-out of renewable power, including on government-owned lands. Since Biden took office, it has approved 41 renewable projects on public lands that could power more than 12.5 million homes.