The 19MW project, which is contingent on contract approval by Nevada's Public Utilities Commission, is expected to be constructed next year. When complete,  the plant is expected to offset the annual production of almost 27,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is the equivalent of removing 136,800 cars from Nevada's roads over the next 25 years.

The military site will feature SunPower's Oasis™ Power Plant system, a fully integrated, modular solar power block that is engineered to rapidly and cost-effectively deploy utility-scale solar projects while optimizing land use. The plant will be the second major solar installation located at the military facility; SunPower completed a 14 MW solar power system at the base in 2007.

"We are pleased to team again with NV Energy," said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. He cited the previous collaboration, in 2007. "It took nine months to construct the 14MW plant at Nellis Air Force Base, which was the largest solar photovoltaic power plant in the U.S. at the time," he added.  

Stacey Kusters, vice president, renewable energy and origination for NV Energy, called the partnership with SunPower is a "key component of achieving our renewable energy goals at a competitive cost."