Strategy 5: Expand Renewable Energy Generation on County Lands and Facilities
The County will augment our efforts to eliminate GHG emissions by installing renewable energy generation systems (solar, geothermal and wind) on appropriate County facilities and lands.
The County will pursue financial support for these upgrades using Inflation Reduction Act programs such as the Production Tax Credit (PTC-§45) and the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act’s Solar For All program can provide financial support to help the County with the up-front costs to install these systems.
44. Deploy anemometers and analyze data for possible wind generation at facilities
Although wind in Washoe County is not as constant as it is in the Great Plains, some places in the County are notoriously windy and may offer excellent opportunities to generate renewable energy. Deploying test anemometers at various sites and collecting a year’s worth of data will allow the County to evaluate whether, how, and where it’s worth investing to deploy small wind turbines to generate electricity for specific facilities.
45. Expand wind generation on County Lands and Facilities
This action will be determined by analysis of the data gathered from the action above.
46. Expand solar arrays on County Lands and Facilities
With more than 300 days of sunshine each year and federal funding available to support the deployment of solar energy-generating systems, the County will maximize our opportunities to deploy photovoltaic systems that reduce emissions while providing cost-effective energy savings.
47. Expand Geothermal Systems on County Lands and Facilities
Nevada has been ranked as the best state for geothermal energy development. The County will explore opportunities to deploy both deep (hot) and shallow (cooler) geothermal systems to provide energy systems for County facilities.
48. Identify key facilities as climate-resilient hubs
In cooperation with Washoe County’s Emergency Management Department, Facilities team, and the community, we will evaluate opportunities to provide reliable power and refuge during extreme weather events and other emergencies.
49. Deploy Battery Energy Storage Systems to Increase Climate Resiliency
By incorporating Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to key facilities, we can provide renewably sourced energy at night after the sun goes down, and during power outages. During times of energy emergencies such as extreme storms, heat or cold events, these community-based microgrids can improve community resilience and survival.