The Gemini solar project, spearheaded by Houston-based developer Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, will be one of the largest solar projects in the West.

Las Vegas and its surrounding area could soon see a new source of energy once a proposed $1 billion solar project has been completed.

The Gemini solar project, spearheaded by Houston-based developer Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, will be one of the largest solar projects in the West, Bloomberg reported. It will be built on close to 44,000 acres of federal land around 25 miles away from downtown Las Vegas, the company said in a statement. When complete, the project would help bring power to parts of Nevada, including the Las Vegas strip, California and Arizona.

Using Batteries

In addition to 690 megawatts of solar, Quinbrook plans to install up to 200 megawatts of batteries, which will allow for power delivery even after sunset. As battery costs drop, electricity buyers in California have been looking at solar-battery combinations, Bloomberg reported.

“In California, I'd sincerely doubt you'd build a solar project without a battery,” said Jeff Hunter, Quinbrook's senior managing director.

According to Quinbrook, an environmental review should be finished by next year, and construction will likely begin in the third quarter of 2019. The project is scheduled to be complete by 2020.

Hunter said Arevia Power will be in charge of the project's final development, as well as its construction, and the final cost will be tied to the price tag of its battery portion, Bloomberg reported.

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