Elko County backs northern stretch of Southwest Intertie transmission project; rancher concerns about solar follow

The Elko County Commission voted to adopt a resolution supporting Great Basin Transmission LLC’s proposed northern portion of the Southwest Intertie, a high-voltage transmission project that would cross parts of the county.

A staff member said Great Basin Transmission asked for county support and provided a draft resolution; commissioners amended the text to remove a phrase referencing “millions of dollars in annual property taxes” and instead referred generally to sales, use and centrally assessed property taxes.

Why it matters: Commission support signals local political backing for transmission lines that proponents say enable new power flows and economic activity, while opponents fear such infrastructure could make utility-scale solar or other development more likely on formerly undeveloped rangeland.

Commissioners heard public comment from a rancher who told the board he fears a transmission backbone will be followed by solar farms that “kill everything underneath it” and said he did not consider that a form of green energy. A commissioner responded that the county already has ordinance tools — excise taxes, per-acre reclamation bonds and a specific tax for intermittent solar and wind — intended to limit or mitigate large-scale renewable project impacts.

Commission business: One commissioner said they had consulted with Thad Ballard, president of the Wellsboro Electric cooperative, who strongly supported the resolution. After a motion and second, the commission adopted the resolution as amended.

Sources: Staff briefing and public comment during the county commission meeting. Ending: The resolution passed; commissioners asked staff to keep code enforcement, excise tax and reclamation tools in mind as development proposals appear along the corridor.