The house always wins: Massive Gemini solar + storage outside of Las Vegas reaches commercial operations

The Gemini Solar + Energy Storage project (courtesy: Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners)

In many casino games, the house doesn’t have a tremendous edge over a reasonably competent gambler. But casinos aren’t charities- they’re always going to get their cut through the vig/juice/rake/cut/synonym of your choosing. That’s how they keep the lights on.

Do you know what else helps keep the lights on? Having the biggest co-located solar and battery energy storage project in the country located just 30 minutes outside Las Vegas.

Primergy Solar and Quinnbrook Infrastructure Partners announced Thursday that the Gemini Solar + Storage project in Clark County, Nevada is now fully operational. Gemini’s 1.8 million solar panels can generate up to 690 megawatts (MW), powering approximately 10% of Nevada’s peak power demand. The solar arrays are co-located with 380 MW of 4-hour battery storage to provide Nevadans with 1,400 MWh of power after sundown. The project’s unique DC-coupled storage configuration enables the BESS to charge directly from the solar panels, resulting in increased efficiency and maximizing the capture and storage of solar energy directly on-site, per Primergy and Quinbrook.

“Gemini broke the mold with a historic amount of solar and BESS, backed by the largest tax equity financing of its kind,” said Primergy CEO Ty Daul. “Achieving full commercial operations marks a significant technical and financial milestone for our team. We successfully navigated challenging supply chain and inflation issues through proactive planning and collaboration to bring this project online. We are grateful to our partners and investors for their commitment and shared vision in delivering clean energy to the western US.”

To minimize environmental impacts to the nearly 5,000-acre site, Primergy took measures to leave vegetation in place, installed solar panels to follow the ground’s natural contours, and reduced the project’s footprint by more than 20% through thoughtful design. The project created approximately 1,300 union and prevailing wage jobs and contributed approximately $463 million to Nevada’s economy, according to Primergy’s release.

“Gemini creates a blueprint for holistic and innovative clean energy development at mega scale, and we are proud to have brought this milestone project to life and to have delivered so many positive impacts across job creation, environmental stewardship, and local community engagement,” said David Scaysbrook, co-founder and managing partner of Quinbrook. “Quinbrook and Primergy have worked as one team to diligently navigate the inevitable challenges to bringing one of the largest ever solar and storage projects online. It’s a testament to the hard work and creativity of our teams – along with our many first-rate partners – that Gemini is now playing a meaningful part in delivering clean, affordable power to Las Vegas residents.”

During development, Primergy and Quinbrook closed on $1.9 billion in debt and tax equity financing. In October 2022, APG, the largest pension asset manager in the Netherlands, acquired a 49% equity ownership in Gemini on behalf of its pension fund client, ABP. In April 2024, the remaining 51% of the project was acquired by the Quinbrook Valley of Fire Fund, with Blackstone Strategic Partners and Ares Management Infrastructure Secondaries funds as lead investors.

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