Climate change is front and center in Nevada. But so are solutions. Here are the facts. In Western states, such as Nevada, climate change has warmed the state by 1 to 2 degrees in the last century. Increased heat waves are becoming common, snowpack is melting earlier in spring and less water flows through the waterways feeding our lands. Rising temperatures and recent droughts in the region have increased the risk of wildfires. In the coming decades, the changing climate is likely to decrease water availability, further increase risks to habitat loss and endanger sensitive plant and animal species.
We know burning fossil fuels is driving climate change and we know we need a rapid transition to a renewable energy economy — for the sake of our climate, the air we breathe, water we drink and all-around community health. But decarbonizing the energy sector should not harm the West’s lands, waters, biodiversity or communities.
For these reasons, conservation nonprofits formed a Nevada-focused Smart from the Start Coalition: a network of environmental, sporting and environmental justice organizations with a goal to drive responsible renewable energy development in Nevada through legislation and state and federal land use planning efforts. Responsible, smart renewable energy siting is a result of two things: thoughtful collaboration between all impacted communities and stakeholders, including tribes, and holistic consideration of all the environmental, cultural, community and climate resilience values of public lands.
Currently, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing an update to the Western Solar Plan via its draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Solar PEIS) and is seeking public input. The agency is accepting public comments on the draft plan until April 18. The BLM’s proposed updates will establish a framework for how utility-scale solar development will be deployed on federal public land, including in Nevada.
While it neither approves nor guarantees approval of any proposed projects, the Western Solar Plan is the important first step of drawing guiding lines on the map and codifying guidance for how the BLM should approach project application reviews. The Solar PEIS will identify low conflict areas where applications for solar development will be accepted and will exclude areas that the BLM already knows are not suitable for solar development.
Together, with the BLM’s newly finalized Renewable Energy Rule, the solar programmatic environmental impact statement will help facilitate the responsible buildout of renewable energy projects on public lands at the pace needed to surpass the statutory goal of permitting 25 gigawatts on public lands by 2025, also a part of the president’s nationwide goal of 100 percent clean electricity by 2035.
The BLM intends to meet our nation’s renewable energy goals through the deployment of well-sited solar energy projects on 700,000 acres of BLM-managed land by 2045 across the West. As a nation, we have an opportunity to address climate change by thoughtfully embracing the renewable energy potential on public lands. The Nevada Smart From the Start Coalition is advocating to get there by guiding solar applications toward lands that are the lowest conflict and previously disturbed or degraded.
Nevada has seen the impacts of climate change in many ways. Erratic rains have produced several flooding events damaging homes, businesses and outdoor recreation opportunities. Reno and Las Vegas are two of the fastest warming cities in the nation, leaving low-income residents struggling to keep pace with energy bills to cool their homes.
Nevada can continue to tap into its vast potential for solar and address the climate crisis, however, proposed renewable energy projects must be planned to reduce impacts on the landscape. As utility-scale solar projects continue in the state, we must consider smart-from-the-start principles to avoid and minimize impacts to the landscape and provide ample opportunities for meaningful community input.
BLM’s update to the Western Solar Plan is a chance to chart a path forward that works for our state and the lands we know and love. Right now, we have an opportunity to help shape what that final plan looks like.
Russell Kuhlman is the executive director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation.
Jaina Moan is the Nevada external affairs director for The Nature Conservancy.
Jose Witt is the Mojave Desert landscape director for The Wilderness Society.
The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.
“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.
The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.
Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.
The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.
McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.
“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.
McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.
“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.
John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.
“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.
Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.
“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”
McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.
“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.
Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.
A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market.
The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.
Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com.
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The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show.
The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show.
There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information.
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The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal.
The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market.
Updated February 26, 2026 – 8:28 pm
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Green Valley’s softball team claimed an 8-6 win at Liberty on Thursday on the first day of high school spring sports competition in Nevada.
Green Valley next hosts Silverado at 3 p.m. Friday. Liberty plays at Bishop Gorman at 3 p.m. Friday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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