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March 28, 2024 1:42 pm
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Moapa Residents Riled By Solar Plant Proposal

Editor’s Note:  On Tuesday, May 3, after the following story went to press, the application for a solar power facility to be built in Moapa was withdrawn from consideration at the request of the applicant. The project is, therefore, no longer under consideration by the applicant or the County.

 

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

Robert Paul, of solar plant developer Alternative Power Development Northwest (left), answers questions from Moapa resident Ann Schreiber (left) at a neighborhood meeting held on Saturday morning regarding a proposed solar plant to be built on 115 acres in Moapa town. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/Moapa Valley Progress.
Robert Paul, of solar plant developer Alternative Power Development Northwest (left), answers questions from Moapa resident Ann Schreiber (left) at a neighborhood meeting held on Saturday morning regarding a proposed solar plant to be built on 115 acres in Moapa town. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/Moapa Valley Progress.

Developers of a solar power project proposed to be built in the heart of the Moapa community were met with a disgruntled, and sometimes hostile, public during a neighborhood meeting held Saturday to discuss the plans.
More than fifty people attended the meeting that was held in the Moapa Community Center. Neighbors of the proposed project expressed anger that they had not been consulted earlier and frustration that the developer had so few answers to their many questions.

But Robert Paul, managing member of project development company Alternative Power Development Northwest, explained that the project was still only in its initial stages. Many of the questions would only be answered as the proposal proceeded through the permitting process with Clark County, he said.
“It is not that I am trying to pull the wool over on you,” said Paul. “We just are not at the point that we have many answers right now. We are just starting into the process with the county and we really don’t know what will be required. But whatever those requirements are, we will have to fulfill them.”

According to preliminary plans, the project would be built across a 115 acre strip of land owned privately by Moapa resident Bob Lewis. The property roughly follows the north-south alignment of Lawson Drive with the southern end of the property just north of the Red Cloud Drive neighborhood and the northern boundary fronting on the Isola Drive alignment.
Several residences, especially those on the northern end of the parcel, would be immediately adjacent to the project.

Nevertheless, Paul claimed that the solar facility would be an exemplary neighbor to nearby residential parcels.
“There is no noise, no chemicals, no towers or boilers,” Paul said. “I would have no problem living next to a facility like this.”
But residents in the area were unconvinced.
“Right now we have a beautiful view of fields and the desert beyond,” said one resident in attendance. “So you’re saying that you would be fine to give all that up and instead wake up every morning to see these rows of black panels standing out in the field like a bunch of soldiers?”

Paul was asked why this parcel had been chosen, in the middle of the neighborhood, rather than seeking a parcel of BLM land in the outskirts of town. He responded that he preferred to work with private property owners rather than on federal land.
“I did one project with the BLM some time ago and they were so difficult to deal with that I swore I would never do that again,” Paul said.
The selected site was considered ideal, however, because there was a possible connection point to the power grid there; and also because the property was already zoned to allow such a facility there, Paul said.

Residents expressed numerous concerns about flood control issues. The parcel is located directly within the Meadow Valley Wash flood plain. They wondered how the developer would manage the major flood events that frequently flow through the area.
“We are not sure yet about the details of that,” Paul said. “But the county will, no doubt, require us to do a full drainage study and develop a plan for rerouting that water. We will be required to show no impact to the drainage through the area.”
Paul said that the company would proactively want to mitigate the flood flow through the area because the facility would not function at its full capability if it was inundated with water.

But community residents, familiar with the flood flows through that area expressed strong doubts that the company would ever be able to contain the flooding through the parcel.
“You’re problem won’t be that your panels are standing in three feet of water,” said one resident. “Rather it will be that your panels get washed away and end up down under the Glendale bridge somewhere.”

Moapa Town Advisory Board member Tim Watkins said that the developer’s compliance with county flood control requirements offered very little reassurance to local residents.
“Unfortunately, we are distrustful of the county as far as flood control,” Watkins said. “They have pretty much told us that we are on our own in that department. So telling us that you will fully comply with their requirements really doesn’t do much for us.”

Some residents asked what benefits the project might be expected to bring to the community. Paul responded that it would bring about 150 jobs to the area during the construction phase. But that would only last for about six months, he said. After that, ongoing maintenance of the plant would only require about 3 paid employees.

Other than that, the only benefits that Paul could offer was that the small solar plant would be a better alternative on the land than what might be developed there instead.
“You have to remember that this is private land and the landowner has rights on that land,” Paul said. “You could make me go away so that I give up on this. But then you might have another businessman come along that would work with the landowner on something that would be far less attractive for the community.”

As the meeting progressed the emotional tensions became more heightened and the audience became more agitated. Paul’s responses and comments were more defensive and pointed as well.
Moapa resident Dr. Shari Lyman told Paul that his group should have come to the community earlier to gain feedback on the project so that they would be better informed about the town, its people and its issues. As an example, Lyman pointed to the fact that the project had been called the Overton Solar Project.
“Why in the world would you call it that?” Lyman asked exasperatedly. “It has nothing to do with our beloved Overton-ers. It is in Moapa. If you had come to talk to us you would have learned that.”

“But who really cares what it is called?” Paul asked in frustration. This response set off a charge of animosity through the room.
“I care!” Lyman yelled. “And you should care too if you want to get the project completed!”

Clark County rural liaison Janice Ridondo explained that the neighborhood meeting was meant merely to be an initial engagement with the community about the project. She said that it was only the very beginning of the process.
“They will have to come out again to the Town Board,” Ridondo said. “And with a project of this magnitude, we will want to have all the resources here to be able to answer the community’s questions including people from Public Works, Comprehensive Planning, Overton Power District, NV Energy and others.”

Paul said that his company was willing to do all due diligence through the process.
“We have a process to follow,” he said. “The project is proposed for private land that is appropriately zoned for this use. If we follow that process through, the likelihood is high that we will end up getting a permit. I think, through that process, that we can fix a lot of these concerns. What we can’t fix is that it is a solar project. That is just what it is.”

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1 thought on “Moapa Residents Riled By Solar Plant Proposal”

  1. clyde Perkins

    I have a parcel in the open in the upper muddy area north of the Hi-way, that they can use.

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