TCID Leases Land at Leetville

By Rachel Dahl —  TCID has leased 420 acres of land to E.ON Climate and Renewables, a San Francisco company that is looking to build a solar plant on the land located just north and west of Leetville Junction, nine miles west of Fallon. According to Rusty Jardine, District Manager, TCID had acquired the property years ago, entering into a lease at one time with Enel, a local renewable company that had also contemplated building a solar project on the property which did not materialize. Jardine said TCID has received the first yearly lease payment from E.ON of $25,200. The deal includes an escalator clause that will apply over the term of the multi-year agreement.  E.ON is now in the process of applying for permits through Churchill County and NV Energy. As a first step in the permitting process with Churchill County, E.ON has applied for a variance from the Churchill County Code, through the County Planning Department, requesting a change in the set-back requirements from the established one-half mile from Highway 50 to a distance of one-tenth of a mile. The Planning Department had notified surrounding property owners of the application for a variance, and was scheduled to hear the request on Wednesday, February 13th at the regular planning commission meeting, however, the application has been withdrawn. Two requests for information from E.ON have gone unanswered. More on this story will be reported as information becomes available.