The Potential for Repurposing Disturbed Mining Properties in Nevada as Utility-Scale Solar Facilities
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Authors
Jones, Ezra James
Issue Date
2023
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Energy Transitions , Mining , Renewable , Solar , Transmission
Alternative Title
Abstract
Stemming from the Paris agreement and an increased commitment to climate consciousness, calls for more sources of renewable energy to replace high emitting portions of our energy sector have become commonplace. Utility-scale solar has received increased attention as a potential solution to these problems, and is being encouraged in many parts of the desert west, including Nevada. However, questions remain about the best placement for these new energy production facilities. The relatively high incident solar radiation make Nevada’s deserts ideal candidates for these solar facilities. However, these deserts serve as habitat for numerous animals, some of which are threatened or endangered, and the fences surrounding utility-scale solar facilities are impermeable to many animals, effectively blocking off those regions as habitat (Gray et al. 2019).Disturbed and relatively inactive mining properties are proposed as an alternative to undisturbed desert habitats where already disturbed lands will be repurposed to avoid the habitat loss and degradationassociated with new renewable energy installations and allow for the continued use of existing infrastructure like roads, powerlines and substations that are installed for the mining operations in alignment with the smart-from-the start approach to energy planning supported by Nevada’s State Land Use Planning Advisory Council (SLUPAC) (Tibbitts, 2021). Similar proposals have also been championed by numerous agencies and organizations like The Nature Conservancy (Moan & Gower, 2022), the EPA (EPA, 2019) and most recently, the Biden Administration, which has allocated up to 450 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance similar projects on current and former mine lands (DOE, 2023). This thesis analyzes Nevada's solar potential and ranks disturbed mining sites on their potential for use as solar energy installations. A more detailed least cost path style analysis is also performed on mine sites within The Carlin Trend mining district in northeastern Nevada to estimate the potential return on investment from a subset of potential sites. Nuances to this proposal are also explored from a legislative and regulatory perspective which discover an encouraging trajectory of amendments and support for similar projects. This work identified promising groupings of disturbed mining properties in Nevada near Searchlight, Tonopah, and the Twin Creeks mine that may be ideal for utility-scale solar repurposing while also projecting a positive Return on Investment for 28 potential sites in the Carlin Trend mining region. This thesis intends to provide a useful perspective for potential solar developers regarding the repurposing of disturbed mine sites for solar power production.
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License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States