Nevada Construction Jobs Created by Wind Power Agreement

Thousands upon thousands of Nevada construction jobs have been lost during the economic downturn, but a new project in the state will help to replace some of them.

NV Energy recently announced that it has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with Pattern Energy Group LP for the sale of energy produced from a proposed wind energy project to be located in eastern Nevada.

The 150-megawatt Spring Valley Wind Project, which is expected to begin generating electricity by late 2011, would be the first major wind project in Nevada. Aside from creating 10 permanent positions, the project will create more than 150 construction jobs, which is welcome news to the many unemployed construction workers in the state.

Nevada's construction industry employed 77,600 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 82,300 workers during November and a 27.7 percent decrease from December 2008.

Terms of the power purchase agreement, which must still be approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, have not yet been disclosed. Michael Yackira, CEO and president of NV Energy, said the agreement is an important step in the company's efforts to diversify its renewable energy portfolio.

"We're pleased to add more clean renewable energy for our customers, and this project is a good example of developing renewable energy resources in remote parts of our state," he said.

NV Energy currently has about 1,000 megawatts of geothermal, solar, biomass, hydro, waste-heat recovery and wind energy under contract or in the project development stage.

"Pattern is very excited to have executed this groundbreaking agreement with NV Energy," Pattern Energy CEO Mike Garland said. "We look forward to building the first utility-scale wind project in the state and providing jobs and renewable energy to the citizens of Nevada."