The massive, Las Vegas-sized Esmeralda 7 solar project planned for Esmeralda County is still viable but is moving forward with a different approach, the Department of Interior (DOI) confirmed Tuesday to The Nevada Independent.

Project proponents and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) “agreed to change their approach,” according to a Tuesday statement from the DOI, the agency that oversees the BLM. “The BLM did not cancel the project.”

Those comments come after a BLM website reflected last week that the environmental review had been canceled, and BLM officials — unavailable on account of the government shutdown — could not be reached for explanation. The listing prompted widespread speculation that the entire project had been scrapped, but some individual developers behind the project say they are still committed to developing utility-scale solar in central Nevada.

Some say the federal move is detrimental to grid-scale energy development. 

“We need more power on the grid, fast, and the solar and storage industry is ready to provide it, but we need the administration to get serious about truly achieving American energy dominance,” Ben Norris, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), previously told The Nevada Independent in an email. 

When asked for comment on the latest development, a spokesperson for SEIA said the association’s previous position on the matter still stands. 

“Solar energy is good for Nevada — it creates good-paying jobs, lowers energy costs, and fuels our economy,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) added in a statement. “I’m urging Secretary (Doug) Burgum to clarify the administration’s position instead of continuing to create confusion around solar projects nationwide.”

Esmeralda 7 comprises seven distinct but geographically contiguous utility-scale solar projects spanning tens of thousands of acres west of Tonopah. When the project was introduced, a programmatic level environmental analysis was being performed that would look at the broader environmental effects of the projects as a whole rather than the individual projects.

Instead, through what the DOI statement called “routine discussions,” it was determined that the applicants will now submit individual project proposals for review. This will allow the agency to “more effectively analyze potential impacts,” according to the statement. 

“This approach ensures focused, thorough assessments of potential impacts on public lands while supporting responsible energy development” and focuses on “improving permitting efficiency and reducing regulatory burdens,” the statement said. 

The seven projects originally proposed were: 

• Lone Mountain Solar: 1 gigawatt of solar and 500 megawatts of battery storage on 8,350 acres.
• Nivloc Solar: 500 megawatts of solar and battery storage on 8,280 acres.
• Smoky Valley Solar: 1 gigawatt of solar and battery storage on 4,890 acres.
• Red Ridge 1 Solar: 600 megawatts of solar and battery storage on 6,190 acres.
• Red Ridge 2 Solar: 600 megawatts of solar and battery storage on 6,860 acres.
• Esmeralda Energy Center: 1 gigawatt solar facility and battery storage system on 8,360 acres.
• Gold Dust Solar: 1.5-gigawatt solar facility and 1 gigawatt battery storage system on 16,720 acres.

The Nevada Independent has confirmed directly and indirectly that several of the project developers are still planning to move forward. 

“NextEra Energy Resources is one of six companies pursuing projects in Esmeralda County, Nevada. We are in the early stages of development and remain committed to pursuing our project’s comprehensive environmental analysis and will continue to engage constructively with the Bureau of Land Management,” according to a statement from NextEra Energy Resources, developer of the Esmeralda Energy Center.

Kerry Rohrmeier, Nevada climate and energy strategy director, who is providing technical assistance to Esmeralda County, confirmed that Esmeralda County has received communication from Avantus that the company will proceed with its projects (Red Ridge 1 and Red Ridge 2.) A spokesperson for the company did not respond to an email from The Nevada Independent prior to publication. 

Rohrmeier also said Leeward, the company behind Lone Mountain Solar, “has given every indication” of still being interested. Leeward is represented by Arc Dome Strategies founder Caleb Cage — Cage did not respond to a call and text from The Nevada Independent prior to publication. 

Combined, the seven projects would have covered roughly 62,000 acres, although the amount of land set aside for the projects — 119,000 acres — would have rivaled the city of Las Vegas in size.

If approved and authorized for construction, the individual projects would apply for power purchase agreements to connect to the proposed 525-kilovolt Esmeralda Substation being constructed as part of NV Energy’s Greenlink West transmission project, according to the BLM’s original draft programmatic environmental impact statement.

Construction on a segment of Greenlink West is delayed because of conflicts with military airspace, but once built, the line will have the capacity to carry 4,000 megawatts of energy, enough to power 4.8 million homes. 

The BLM originally estimated full buildout of the Esmeralda 7 projects would be completed within five years of it issuing a record of decision for the project.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:40 p.m. 10/14/25 to add a comment from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.