Gemini Solar and Storage Project: Three Critical Components for Success
First Solar & Storage Wonder of the Western World
Bigger is better in clean energy, and the monumental Gemini Solar and Storage Project 30 miles outside Las Vegas, Nevada, will be the largest solar project in the Americas when it goes online next year. At Silverline, we’re privileged to work with across all parties involved (We have a complete 360 view of the project!) in this groundbreaking endeavor, and we’ve been impressed with each stage of the process to turn a barren stretch of the Mojave Desert into a vast field of solar panels gleaming with the promise of clean energy.
The planning and production of Gemini is well on the way to providing ample returns on its investment as well as serving as model for other large-scale solar and storage projects. How did this Herculean enterprise transform 6,000 acres of desert? We’ve pinpointed three key factors that set Primergy and partners on a course for success.
Solar Development Expertise Leads to Flexible Funding
The project developer leveraged its many decades of renewable energy experience and expertise to fund Gemini, agreeing to $1.9 billion in debt and tax equity financing. The funding agreement includes $1.3 billion in credit for construction and operation as well as a renewable record-breaking $532 million in tax credits and deductions. The financing will build the combined 690 MW of solar power and 380 MW of battery energy storage, enough to power 400,000 homes. Once online, Gemini will deliver clean energy through a 25-year purchase agreement with NV Energy.
Solar Power Partnerships: Panels, Batteries, and Engineering
Funding is just one part of setting the Gemini Project in motion. Like the astrological symbol, this renewable Gemini features twins: the solar panels to generate energy and the lithium-ion batteries to store that energy until it is needed. The developer carefully analyzed options before choosing its solar and battery partners. Gemini required that its partners have a proven track record of successfully bringing projects to completion as well as experience producing large-scale renewable projects. Primergy followed a comprehensive, detailed procurement process to select Maxeon Solar Technologies to provide its high efficiency bifacial solar modules and IHI Terrasun to serve as battery storage integrator. In addition, Primergy partnered with Kiewet Power Constructors Company to oversee engineering, procurement and construction.
Optimal Location for Solar Power Generation and Storage
The dual nature of Gemini’s success story extends beyond the solar and battery partnership and into the public-private collaboration responsible for this massive undertaking. 690 MW of solar arrays and 380 MW of energy storage require space, so the developer has partnered with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Department of Interior, and the Moapa Band of Paiutes to build Gemini on federal land with plenty of sunshine and space in the heart of the Mojave Desert. Gemini’s placement also aligns with the goal of installing clean energy projects on public lands to fulfill the Biden Administration’s goal of cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
In order to gain access to the federal land, the developer promised to serve as a good steward and has conducted extensive planning to preserve local diversity, including the Mojave Desert Tortoise and the Threecorner Milkvetch plant. In addition, Primergy will improve both road and drinking water infrastructure that will be handed over to the management of the Moapa Band of Paiutes once construction is finished. Thanks to Primergy’s federal and tribal partnerships, these 6,000 acres of the Mojave will protect endangered wildlife and provide enhanced infrastructure while also boasting more solar than sand.
Solar Project Brings Renewable Powered Jobs and Cuts Carbon Footprint
While the three steps to building a successful project may seem daunting, Gemini already is showering the surrounding community with benefits and the promise of more to come. The construction of the Gemini Solar and Storage Project is bringing at least 1,300 high-paying, union construction jobs to Nevada. And once Gemini goes online next year, it will power as many as 400,000 homes with reliable, renewable energy and support Nevada’s peak energy demands. In addition, Gemini helps to fill in a deep carbon footprint by annually offsetting an estimated 1.5 million tons of CO2 – an impactful return on investment.
A Clearer Path Ahead for Clean Energy Endeavors
Just months after the passage of the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) brings significant investment in clean energy, the Gemini Project serves as a tangible milestone in the Biden Administration’s journey towards a clean energy transition. The IRA allocates hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits for solar and energy storage projects, a key part of accelerating the clean energy transition and the Biden’s Administration’s goal to decarbonize the power sector by 2025. Developers such as Primergy and integrators such as IHI Terrasun play a central role in reaching these goals and setting an example of how to make a large-scale clean energy project successful – truly a Wonder of the modern Western World. The Silverline team is proud to support our clients as they accelerate the clean energy transition.
