Valley Electric Association is one of approximately 900 member-owned electric cooperatives in the U.S. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current)
A local power cooperative in Pahrump was awarded an $80.3 million federal loan for a solar project that would produce enough electricity to power 3,500 homes in the Pahrump and the Fish Lake Valley region.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to invest $140 million for solar in rural communities in Kentucky and Nevada. Investment funds for the projects were sourced from the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Valley Electric Association, an energy cooperative based in Pahrump, plans to use its $80.3 million investment to install a 37-megawatt solar power generation and storage system that would serve a portion of their 20,100 members in Pahrump and the Fish Lake Valley region.
Valley Electric Association was selected for the investment after committing to lower electricity rates for their members while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The project is also expected to strengthen the energy grid and keep critical services powered in the region.