Laughlin eyed for big solar project

A Chinese company wants to build a solar panel manufacturing plant and solar farm near Laughlin that would employ about 1,700 people workers, Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak said Friday.

Construction of the massive plant alone would take four years and employ 3,000, Sisolak said.

The County Commission will decide Tuesday whether to begin negotiating a sale to ENN Mojave Energy Corp., part of ENN Solar Energy, for exclusive rights to 5,400 acres about 12 miles south of Laughlin off Needles Highway. About 400 acres will be used for a plant to manufacture solar panels, with the remaining land used for a solar farm.

Sisolak estimated the project's value at $3 billion to $4 billion.

ENN Solar Energy manufactures high-performance solar modules and provides energy services for an expanding worldwide client base, according to the company's website.

Sisolak said he's met several times with the president of ENN and bankers from China.

"It's a real project," the commissioner said from San Diego, where he was on vacation. "The first time they came over, I said, 'You're about the 15th company to come out here.' This one is not like the others. They brought a bunch of scientists over the third time we met."

Construction could begin late this year, with production of some 2.7 million to 5.4 million solar panels a year beginning in 2013. The first of four possible phases for the solar farm would start taking shape in 2014.

The land is part of 9,000 acres transferred to Clark County from the Colorado River Commission in 2007. The federal government will need to lift restrictions on the land to allow for solar development.

Deborah Murray, community development manager for Laughlin's Town Manager's office, said she's excited about having a company from China interested in Laughlin.

"It's definitely going to help economic diversification in Clark County," she said. "Any development at this time is a good thing. This is a huge project and the county will look at all aspects of it as far as the way it builds out."

ENN uses leading-edge thin-film solar cell production technologies at its manufacturing plant in Langfang, near Beijing. It can produce high-performance photovoltaic modules of up to 5.7 square-meters, which are among the largest in the world.

The plant has annual capacity to produce solar panels that can generate 70 megawatts, enough electricity to power more than 40,000 North American homes. They've also been used as the power source for electric vehicle recharging stations.

The ultimate goal of ENN Solar Energy is to develop the next generation of solar energy products and applications. ENN's photovoltaic solar panels are set up to create solar-power farms that can supplement the output of electric utilities and lower carbon emissions worldwide, the website said.

ENN had $3.7 billion in revenue and $6.1 billion in assets, according to company documents.

Sisolak said he hopes to have an exclusive agreement in place with ENN next week to begin the appraisal process on the land. Two other commissioners and county staff have expressed support for the project, he said.

Economic development officials have identified renewable energy as a leading industry for economic diversification in Nevada, though the industry has been slow to develop.

Last year, Seal Beach, Calif.-based Amonix announced it would open a solar panel manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas and promised to hire 300 employees. A source told the Review-Journal that only 100 people were hired locally, with the rest coming from California. The company received $4,000 per employee in training funds from the state.

Amonix signed a five-year lease for 214,000 square feet in the Golden Triangle industrial park in North Las Vegas, near Pecos and Craig roads. Capital investment, including equipment, construction and tenant improvements, was estimated at $15 million to $16 million.

Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or
702-383-0491.