turquoise solar energy project

The Turquoise Solar Energy Projects, located 15 miles east of downtown Reno, Nevada within the Reno Technology Park, consist of 60 megawatts of solar power capacity.  Upon completion of construction, the two Turquoise projects will generate over 140,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy per year.  

The Turquoise projects will provide solar energy to two important energy users in the Reno-Tahoe region.  The 50 megawatt Turquoise Nevada project will serve Apple, Inc. via NV Energy’s innovative NV GreenEnergy Rider program.  One of Apple’s largest data center campuses is located adjacent to Turquoise Solar.  The 10 megawatt Turquoise Liberty project will serve Liberty Utilities, the retail electric provider for the Lake Tahoe region of California, in support of Liberty’s goal to use 100% renewable energy. 

The Turquoise projects are sited on challenging terrain, but minimize environmental impact by siting on land which is of low value to wildlife, taking advantage of existing infrastructure for interconnection, and locating near high energy loads.  Also, because of Turquoise's location at the heart of NV Energy's northern Nevada transmission system, Turquoise contributes to power quality in the region.  A shared substation and gen-tie line improve project economics for both energy users.   

Turquoise was originally developed by Estuary in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation of Americas.  In 2019, Turquoise Nevada was sold to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation, who subsequently completed construction of the project.  Turquoise Liberty was constructed and financed through substantial completion by Estuary and Sumitomo and transferred to Liberty Utilities when operational. Turquoise Nevada was named “Utility Scale Solar Project of the Year” for 2020 by Solar Builder Magazine.