Last meeting was Networking, Presentation, Q&A

Where: Sahara West Library Glass Room,
9600 West Sahara, Las Vegas 89117

The proposed 690 MW Gemini Solar Project located off of I-15 a few miles north of Las Vegas.   Some of the Economic and environmental Benefits of Gemini Solar include the following 

• Energy created by the Gemini Solar Project will stay in Nevada and help the state reach its renewable energy portfolio standard ahead of schedule
• The project will create hundreds of jobs for Nevadans during construction, contributing to the growth of our economy
• The project will also generate taxes and other financial benefits for Clark County and the state
• Solar production is good for the environment and for air quality; this project will reduce our carbon footprint by eliminating nearly a million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year
• The project includes a 340 MW battery storage component that can deliver energy at night and at peak times;
• Nevada has more reliable sunshine than almost any other state in the country.  Solar is a permanent renewable energy resource that will make us less reliant on fossil fuels.
• Solar is the future of energy; it is efficient, non-polluting and safe and we should encourage investment and development of utility solar projects.
• When fully operational, the project will generate enough clean solar energy to serve the needs of about 400,000 homes per year, displacing approximately one and a half million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually – the equivalent of taking about 290,000 cars off the road.
• The project developers are committed to protecting native species, such as the desert tortoise, during construction and afterwards. In fact, the project will employ an innovative approach that preserves native vegetation and, after construction, desert tortoises will relocated back to their original habitat

 For more information on the project, you can visit www.geminisolarnv.com
The Bureau of Land Management is now accepting public comment for the project’s draft environmental impact statement through September 5.  blm_nv_sndo_geminisolar@blm.gov

Ricardo Graf has lead solar development project teams to over $502MM in project financing of utility-scale solar PV projects over the last nine years and is the primary point of contact for development related activities associated to the Gemini Solar Project. He is seasoned in all facets of solar PV project development – between his efforts, most recently with SunEdison and GCL New Energy, he has created over 2,000MW of project pipeline/backlog in the Western U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. He is the overall project director for all projects at Arevia and manages their execution including permitting, interconnection, PPA, regulatory affairs and construction. He holds a B.S. in Public Relations from Pacific Union College and an M.B.A. from La Sierra University.