BLM unfreezes Libra Solar to allow construction start in 2026
After a five-month freeze, the Trump administration is allowing a major solar power project to proceed. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued a decision record on Dec. 15 that authorizes a series of revisions to the Libra Solar project in southwestern Nevada.
Located approximately 20 miles south of the Fort Churchill substation in Yerington, Nevada, the $2.33 billion, 700 MW solar + storage project was originally approved during the Biden administration in September 2024. However, regulatory changes under President Donald Trump left Libra Solar on indefinite hiatus for more than a year.
Dozens of utility-scale solar power projects have been sitting in the permitting queue since Trump took office in January. This was the first project that BLM has approved since July.
BLM’s decision to amend the Libra Solar project includes realignments to the gen-tie line, expanded pull and tension sites, closure and rerouting of State Route 2C, updated solar block layout, and revised stormwater management. These modifications are within the scope of the 2024 Libra Solar project final Environmental Assessment and Decision. The amended plan means that Libra Solar project could begin construction next year, according to BLM.
Project at a glance
Developed by Arevia Power, the Libra Solar project the largest solar energy and battery storage project in Nevada’s history. The project consists of up to a nominal 700 MWac solar PV power generating facility and a 700 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) on 5,778 acres of BLM-administered land in Mineral County, Nevada.
The project would be constructed using solar modules mounted on single-axis, horizontal tracker structures combined with an integrated BESS installation. The ROW application contains a larger area than required for the solar field to allow for adjustments in the facility layout to minimize environmental impacts, based on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis.
In September 2024, Arevia Power received a Record of Decision (ROD) from the U.S. Department of the Interior for the Libra Solar project, This groundbreaking project, valued at over $2.33 billion, is expected to produce 1,948,000 MWh per year.
“This project showcases the potential of renewable energy to drive economic development while addressing climate change,” said U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) in 2024. “The Libra Solar Project will bring over 1,000 good-paying jobs to Mineral and Lyon Counties and deliver long-term benefits to our communities. I am thrilled to see Nevada leading the way in renewable energy production.”
The ROD authorized the right-of-way grant for the project, including the construction and operation of the solar photovoltaic facility and associated infrastructure. The Libra Solar project was originally expected to be completed by the end of 2027. A new estimated completion date has not yet been announced.
