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Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, left, and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu shake after signing an agreement for a Nevada Test Site solar power development zone during a news conference at UNLV’s Greenspun Hall Thursday, July 8, 2010. Looking on from left are Nevada Development Authority President Somer Hollingsworth, UNLV President Neal Smatresk, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Regent James Dean Leavitt.
Published Thursday, July 8, 2010 | 11:37 a.m.
Updated Thursday, July 8, 2010 | 12:57 p.m.
Nevada took another step on Thursday toward becoming a world leader in the solar energy field.
The state will be home to the nation’s first solar research testing ground, planned for a large swath of land on the Nevada Test Site.
The 25-square-mile area will be home to a test lab for new concentrating solar power technologies. Sen. Harry Reid, who led efforts to get such a testing ground established on Nevada soil, said it would foster the next generation of solar energy technologies.
“It’s hard to imagine a better place to capture the heat from the sun than right here,” Reid said.
Construction on the facility is expected to start in 2011 and should bring thousands of short- and long-term jobs to Nevada, Reid said.
“When we bring the solar industry into Nevada, we bring jobs and we need jobs,” Reid said.
Those will include a wave of about 1,000 construction and electrical jobs to build the test projects, but also longer term jobs in maintenance, engineering and research.
Referencing Nevada’s position as the No. 1 state for unemployment and foreclosures, Reid urged the diversification of the state’s economy through increased renewable energy development.
“The best way to create jobs is to make Nevada the leader in something else -- new clean energy jobs,” he said.
Its not the responsibility of a US Senator to create jobs in their home state. Just ask Sharron Angle.
And it isn't...directly (to bring jobs). It's the job of a U.S. Senator to balance the interests of his or her constituents with the needs of the country as a whole. Out of this process should come the best possible solution. Unfortunately our system has been hijacked by career politicians who use job creation schemes as political showcases of their power. So yeah, I'm not adverse to voting for Sharron Angle because she represents the best possible chance at a stable future for me over the next twenty years. With Harry Reid I know I'll get more deficits and higher taxes with more government intrusion into my personal freedoms.
Not to knock having such a facility, but I want to know who is building it, and more importantly, who owns it? Who is financing it? Is this another joint venture with the Chinese like the wind-power manufacturing plant?
This story left out a LOT of details.
Step in the right direction. It is about time Nevada takes a serious move in developing renewable energy.
Thank you, Sen. Reid for securing these renewable-energy jobs for Nevada!
REID in 2010!
Good job!
Reid, its a twofer. Good high paying jobs for Nevada and, if we start to promote electric cars, it will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and the damage to our balance of trade caused by oil imports. I guess thats actually a threefer!
when are the interviews for this place
O.K. part of the test site has been designated as a solar research testing ground. It appears the Federal Government is going to allow solar research and testing on Test Site Land. It is 25 square miles of land at least 90 miles from Las Vegas. That's it.
To read more into it says that any company meeting Federal Guidelines -- what ever they are or will be -- can use part of the Test Site for solar research purposes. I would think that BLM would also have 25 square miles of land closer to Las Vegas and with the approval of Senator Reid could make the same offer. The research company saves the cost of leasing land. That's it.
I don't think I would build a house 90 miles from Las Vegas just because the land is free.
There is NO talk of funding and no evidence of private interest. I don't see any company executives in the picture. There needs to be funding before jobs. Discussing jobs at this time is putting the cart before the horse.
Will there be funding or tax breaks in the future? Who knows? I hope that the politicians aren't putting their foot in their mouth again.
Look at that photo carefully. Every single person is looking in a different direction. Is that an omen for this project?
Just the Obama Administration trying to buy the Election. Angle 48% Reid 41% Bye Bye Harry!!!
Good riddance to the badly mismanaged '00's.
Those thinking about long-term recovery, know the environment will be a big winner in the conversion to biofuels & biopower -- saw a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth
This is exactly the kind of government investment we need in Nevada. But we need to do more than set up Federal research centers. We need more, many more, commercial electricity-producing solar installations. Nevada can and should be the national leader in solar electricity production! Bravo Senator Reid. But this is only the start. We need to expand the grid to distribute the energy. That is where economic stimulus money should go. The investment could be repaid over years through a charge to the utilities who receive the electricity (and the carbon credits they get for using it). Hopefully, this research facility will catalyze further private sector investment. This is exactly why we need to keep Harry Reid as our Senator.
Good old Harry, waited until crunch time to help (himself) Nevada.
Harry Reid is a stupid, lying, pathetic, panderer who manipulates Nevadans for his gain.
(sorry for the rant but I figured if Birdie can get away with it, so can I)
btw, the Test Site, don't the uneducated liberals know they will glow green and ruin the future of Nevada, what about tourists who find out we are using the horrible, horrible desecrated land. (sarcasm is priceless)
bbtbrain: "I'm not adverse to voting for Sharron Angle because she represents the best possible chance at a stable future for me over the next twenty years."
It says a lot about people in this state that would be "not adverse to voting" for someone who until a few days ago advocated the assassination of someone in order to get elected. I would say that Angle's "2nd amendment solution" was more than a bit over the line.
I am grateful to the Obama administration and Senator Reid for this project. Also, getalife, the project, like everything Democrats do, will include Republicans and those of other parties who oppose all forms of progress but welcome their benefits.
You think Angle's gonna deliver the goodies to Nevada like Reid? LOL
Great accomplishment for Nevada. Senator Reid has been bringing home the bacon since he got elected. He's taken on projects others wouldn't even attempt. This is not election year campaigning. He has the vision and the clout to get things done for Nevada. Something Sharron Angle wouldn't be able to do if she were there for a lifetime!
No one should be able to deny that this facility is a Good Thing (tm). We desperately need to move away from fossil fuels as much as possible for many different reasons.
This article has a total of 11 sentences in it (not counting titles or captions). Six (6) of those sentences contain a reference to Reid.
There is not a single reference to who is funding this or who has ownership. There is not a single fact in this article regarding cost. There is not one single mention of who will be using this facility.
Salazar's phoney cowboy act don't he remind you of W. ? How about losing the hat and the bolo tie and getting serious. Don't remind us that you spilled the Oil. You pushed the drilling according to the last few good journalists
Gotta remember a couple of things about this folks:
1) Federal Land - Means Union based construction unless feds decide against it (up to whomever the contractor is to build it)
2) The Feds pay RENT on the Federal Land to Nye County (look it up)
3) This can go the way of the Proposed Solar Panel Farm at the NTS (not enough water to cool panels) and also the Proposed Wind Farm (Bush years - enough said) at the NTS... Which didn't happen...
So many projects are Proposed and then shelfed or killed outright because of lack of education or vision on the Feds area... Look at the Super Conducting Super Collider... Spent billions and so did other countries on that Atom Smasher... Now... The WORLDS LARGEST MUSHROOM farm! YAAAA!
It is a wonder though that Reid is taking time to bring in jobs... Since he cost so many by cutting off funding to Yucca... BTW how did those LAW Suits go to Close it? Where they DENIED?!?