The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board on Dec. 11 voted to adopt RPGB Resolution 25-04, amending the 2024 Truckee Meadows Regional Plan to add an electrical substation and designate a regional utility site for the Sunseeker solar energy project.

Regional planner Chris Tolley of Team RPA told the board the proposal is for a 250-megawatt solar generation facility and an electrical substation, and that the Regional Planning Commission recommended adoption after reviewing the proposal. "This item is a regional plan amendment for the Sunseeker solar facility," Tolley said during his presentation. He stated Washoe County sponsored the amendment and the county planning commission had already approved a conditional use permit for the site.

Tolley described the subject property as east of Rainbow Way, roughly 4 miles north of the Fish Springs Road intersection and about "28.5 miles north of the Truckee Meadows service area," comprising 23 parcels. The packet lists a site-size figure read aloud as "11 28 acres"; staff noted that the site lies within the regional plan's rural-area land designation. Tolley told the board that, under regional policy and statutory thresholds, electrical transmission above a 60-kilovolt threshold and associated substations qualify as "projects of regional significance" and must be shown on Map 3 of the regional plan.

No members of the public requested to speak during the public hearing. After concluding the staff presentation and brief technical questions about jurisdictional roles and statutory triggers, a commissioner moved to adopt the resolution "based on the findings listed in the staff report," the motion was seconded, and the board voted to approve the amendment.

The board's action adds the substation to the regional plan map and registers the facility as a project of regional significance; staff told the board the amendment does not require new public facilities or services in the region and that the proposal does not conflict with the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan policies cited in the staff analysis. The resolution and related staff report are in the meeting packet for members and the public. The governing board did not set implementation dates during the meeting; any subsequent permits, construction schedules and interagency steps remain the responsibility of Washoe County and project proponents.

What happens next: With RPGB approval, the amendment will be reflected on Map 3 of the regional plan and project proponents will proceed with any county or utility permitting required for construction.