Nevada solar energy project listed as "canceled"; developer pledges to continue

Invenergy Solar’s site that produces energy for MGM casinos in Moapa is shown Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. According to the Bureau of Land Management website, the Esmeralda 7 solar project near Tonopah was listed as "canceled" in October 2025. Photo by: Wade Vandervort

A massive solar energy project outside of Tonopah has been seemingly put to a halt, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM’s register for environmental reviews now lists the process for the solar project, which could have been the country’s largest, as “canceled.”

President Donald Trump’s second administration has fiercely opposed clean energy development since retaking office, canceling nearly $700 million for offshore wind in August. The Los Angeles Times found Thursday that the Department of Energy may terminate 300 additional projects.

Esmeralda 7, named for the number of projects covering 62,000 acres of rural Nevada land, could have produced 6.2 gigawatts of energy. But the development may also not be completely dead.

The Department of the Interior told the New York Times on Friday that developers could still get permits for their individual projects. And NextEra Energy, one of those developers, said it was committed to continuing its work, according to the Times.

While the development’s status is in flux, the Nevada Republican Party took a victory lap on social media Friday afternoon.

“We voted for this!” the party wrote on X. “Esmeralda County voters turned out for Trump, and now he has listened to them and cancelled the Esmeralda 7 solar scam.

"Another phenomenal win by (President Donald Trump) and (Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum).”

Some conservationists have also been heavily opposed to the project.

In a statement sent to the Sun, U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto lambasted the administration’s “lack of transparency” and urged Burgum to provide clarity.

“Solar energy production makes electric bills cheaper, creates good-paying jobs, and drives economic growth,” Cortez Masto said.