If and when Ioneer's lithium and boron mine at Rhyolite Ridge enters production, Ioneer will become a leading boron producer in the United States.

Anywhere from 1.6 million to more than 18.3 million acres of land in Nevada have been identified as possible locations for large-scale solar development, according to a draft of a federal plan released Wednesday. 

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a much-anticipated lands bill for Washoe County, opening up new parcels for development in the housing-starved area in a conservation and development compromise mirroring prior Nevada lands bills.

Conservationists are petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add the Carson Valley monkeyflower to the endangered species list.

Supporters of the project argue that pumped storage is the cheapest and most reliable way to provide the electricity storage needed for the clean energy transition and will help stimulate a rural community’s economy. 

There are only 5,000 acres — out of more than 5 million acres in Clark County — of the most optimal land available in the county for “employment” purposes, a state-commissioned study found.

In Nevada, SNPLMA has invested billions of dollars in the state and powered growth throughout the region, while critics have charged that it has enabled suburbanization and sprawl, straining already-precarious water resources. 

No other state has undertaken similar efforts offsetting development for conservation in the way that Nevada has. Nevada’s lands bills hold a unique place among federal conservation strategies and have garnered bipartisan support, bypassing traditional political wisdom of Republicans supporting privatization while Democrats favor environmental protections.

With nearly 100 solar plant applications pending in Nevada, conservationists worry there isn’t an updated management plan specifically guiding utility-scale solar development in the Silver State.

Congress is back in session and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) convened her subcommittee to hear testimony on pending lands legislation, including three of her bills for Nevada. 

The Biden administration’s nomination for Labor Secretary remains held up, much to the chagrin of Nevada’s senators and organized labor presence, while Nevada’s House Democrats are trying to force a vote on gun control measures.

Wilson wrote in his order that the increase was part of a broad cost-of-living increase meant to keep the position’s salary in line with inflation. 

The Inflation Reduction Act intended to tighten the rules for oil and gas leasing on public lands. Conservation groups are closely watching an upcoming oil and gas auction to see how they are implemented.

Dozens of companies have staked claims to mine lithium in Nevada. What this new demand means — how it plays out and where mines are permitted — remain big questions.

In a seven-page complaint, the plaintiffs argue that Settelmeyer’s appointment violated cooling off periods stipulated by the state Constitution for certain offices. 

Even late in his term, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s tenure was defined by his COVID response — a response he argued saved lives, even if it caused collateral economic damage. 

This week’s Indy Environment looks at the main points from a three-day Colorado River conference held in Las Vegas as the water users face an ongoing crisis and looming cuts.

“The responsible expansion of the Navy’s Fallon Range Training Complex has been a major priority of the Navy for years,” Cortez Masto said. “I knew how vital this compromise was to both our national security and to the local economies and Tribal nations.”

This week was a busy one, as the House passed a critical defense bill, Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) win secured a wider Democratic majority in the Senate, and Nevada’s congressional delegation tackled droughts and antisemitism.

This edition of Indy Environment looks at the latest developments with an ongoing fight over water rights within the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nye County.