Commissioners look at renewable energy, disaster planning and infrastructure

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The Board of Eureka County Commissioners navigated a dense, forward-looking agenda during their regularly scheduled bi-monthly meeting on Thursday morning, June 18.

The session featured a hybrid setup, reflecting the vast geography of the county. Chairman Rich McKay and Vice Chair Marty Plaskett presided in person from the Eureka Commission Chambers, while Commissioner Mike Schoenwald attended via tele-link from the Crescent Valley Town Center.

500-megawatt solar projects planned for Diamond Valley

Natural Resource Manager Jake Tibbitts pulled back the curtain on substantial solar energy developments moving into advanced planning stages within Eureka County.

Tibbitts revealed that his office, alongside Public Works Director Jeb Rowley, recently conferred with representatives from one of two green energy developers aiming to establish operations in Diamond Valley. Because these facilities must cross federal land to connect to the regional power grid, both corporations are currently navigating the final stages of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permitting process.

The scope of the primary proposed development is a 500-megawatt facility.

“Roughly it takes five to seven acres per megawatt,” Tibbitts said. “There’s almost 5,000 acres of land in Diamond Valley that their site could control.”

Tibbitts explained that the facility’s output is capped at 500 megawatts solely because of its current power purchase agreement constraints with NV Energy. However, the developers have secured more physical acreage than they currently need, leaving the door open for future footprint expansions if infrastructure demands scale up.

The two corporations driving these projects are AMPYR Energy USA and Balanced Rock Power. AMPYR, a global heavyweight operating as a joint venture between AGP Sustainable Real Assets and Hartree Partners, boasts a global portfolio exceeding 12 gigawatts of utility-scale solar, wind and battery storage projects across four continents. Balanced Rock Power, operating out of Moab, Utah, focuses on western infrastructure solutions designed to support rural economic development.

Recognizing the community impact of shifting 5,000 acres of valley land toward solar arrays, Tibbitts and Rowley requested that both energy companies schedule formal presentations before the County Commission and/or the Natural Resources Advisory Commission (NRAC). More importantly, the county is pushing the firms to host local community open houses this summer. “We want them to be completely transparent about what their long-term plans are,” Tibbitts stressed.

In related energy news, Tibbitts announced that the supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for NV Energy’s critical Greenlink Project is complete. The document is expected to drop any day, triggering a 30-day public comment window.

To protect local interests, the Board approved an NRAC recommendation to resubmit an advocacy packet to the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Natural Resources, calling for a state bill to legally mandate community involvement mechanisms for large-scale solar and data center developments.

Multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan approved

Public safety and disaster readiness received a major structural boost as Randy Brawley, representing Wise Oak Consulting, presented the finalized Eureka County, White Pine County and Ely Shoshone Tribe Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The exhaustive, 467-page document represents a collaborative, multi-year planning effort required by federal law to safeguard rural populations from natural and man-made disasters. Brawley emphasized that the plan is a prerequisite for federal financial survival.

“With the Hazard Mitigation Plan in place, the county can formally apply for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding,” Brawley explained to the Board. “Without it, your jurisdiction cannot legally receive these critical recovery grants.”

Rowley lauded the final product, calling it a “comprehensive, nice, tight plan.” The document represents a five-year strategy that keeps the county eligible for emergency federal aid. Following Brawley’s reading of the supporting resolution, Commissioner Plaskett motioned for approval, which was seconded by Commissioner Schoenwald and passed unanimously. The document once all three jurisdictions similarly approve will be considered by the State of Nevada before final submission to FEMA.

Public safety, EMS metrics and rural advocacy

The human side of county operations took center stage during department updates. Sheriff Miles Umina started things on a light note, reporting a tremendous turnout for the recent “Cops and Kids” events held in both Crescent Valley and Eureka. “The Sheriff got pied in the face in Eureka, so that was good,” Umina laughed.

Crescent Valley resident Laura Shivers thanked the Sheriff’s department, noting that while the northern turnout was smaller than in the south, the impact was profound. “It really helps our kids not be afraid of law enforcement,” Shivers said. “It also helps parents recognize and meet community members who are safe for their kids to be around.”

On a more serious note, Sheriff Umina reported that his deputies handled 524 incidents during the first 18 days of June.

EMS Director Nichole Cooley provided a breakdown of emergency medical services and clinic performance for May:

  • Emergency calls: 32 total calls for service. In Eureka proper, volunteers handled 16 runs while private contractor MedEx covered six. In Crescent Valley, volunteers logged zero runs while MedEx handled all 10 calls.
  • Revenue & attendance: EMS operations brought in $10,413.85. Local clinics saw 238 visitors (221 in Eureka, 17 in Crescent Valley).
  • Volunteer health: The county has 26 listed EMS volunteers with only nine currently considered actively participating.

Cooley reminded residents that comprehensive home health and hospice care are currently available to Eureka citizens, 100% covered by Medicare with a standard doctor’s order, urging those in need to contact her office.

Cooley also shared insights from her attendance at the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (NADEC) conference in Las Vegas. Inspired by the curriculum, Cooley advocated for the creation of a dedicated coalition in rural Nevada to provide 24-to-48-hour safe havens for children removed from dangerous environments. While Cooley stated she cannot spearhead the initiative due to her current workload, she urged other civic leaders to take up the mantle.

Public works

Rowley detailed the challenges of maintaining county properties with a lean summer workforce. “We are operating with a light crew this month,” Rowley shared, noting that staff are focusing primarily on simple groundskeeping and weed mitigation in Eureka and Crescent Valley parks.

Casual pool labor has been deployed along Eureka’s historic Main Street, focusing heavily on sidewalk cleanups to ensure the town looks pristine for the upcoming 4th of July festivities.

Rowley highlighted several major facility upgrades:

  • The swimming pool: The extensive pool plastering and caulking are complete, and the facility is full of water. “Go take a look at the paint job at the pool… it looks really good,” Rowley told the Board. The pool is currently undergoing a mandatory, two-week chemical curing process, with a contractor walk-through completed on June 22. A definitive reopening date has not yet been set.
  • Crescent Valley infrastructure: Public Works completed the installation of ductless mini-split HVAC units at the northern Senior Center and successfully repaired the facility’s walk-in coolers.
  • Capital outlay projects: The department is actively collecting competitive quotes to replace aging carpets and apply fresh paint throughout the historic Courthouse and the Sheriff’s Office.
  • The airport runway chasing game: The Eureka Airport is undergoing asphalt milling and repaving on its apron, but a major headache remains on the tarmac. “The lights are still out on the runway,” Rowley reported. “There are two miles worth of wire that we have to find the fault in… there is a lot of chasing to do to find where that issue is, but we’re going to keep working on that.” Nighttime flight operations remain restricted.

Rowley also reminded the public that the annual county-wide burn ban officially took effect on June 10, while maintenance crews continue testing and repairing local fire apparatus and fuel tanks.

Action item round-up

The commissioners authorized a flurry of fiscal and administrative approvals:

  • Expenditures: Approved total county expenditures of $2,357,630.93, including state pass-through taxes and a $141 payment to the Washoe County Crime Lab.
  • Labor & contracts: Ratified a new, two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Operating Engineers Local 3 representing non-sworn Sheriff’s Office employees, effective July 1. Sworn officers were approved to transition to an 86-hour pay period structural framework.
  • Youth sports support: Voted to contribute $1,000 per student to the Eureka Rodeo Club, providing travel assistance to six local student-athletes who qualified for the Junior High National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma and the High School National Finals Rodeo in Nebraska.
  • Tech upgrades: Authorized a three-year enterprise software contract with monday.com for advanced work management services, capped at $24,240.00 annually.
  • Civil infrastructure: Allocated $31,340 to Lumos & Associates for the upcoming 2027 Solid Waste Management Plan Update, alongside $17,000 for a comprehensive topographic survey of county subdivisions.