Solar project could be start of diversified economy(FLASHBACK)

Las Vegas Sun ^ | June 30, 2011 | Joe Schoenmann

[mdittmar]

Laughlin might soon find itself at the center of Nevada’s economic recovery, as a Chinese power company is seeking approval to build a solar panel manufacturing plant, industrial park and solar array there.

Clark County commissioners will be asked Tuesday to initiate negotiations with ENN Mojave Energy Corp. to purchase 5,400 acres of county land near Laughlin, which is about 90 miles south of Las Vegas.

[mdittmar]

Snip

Sisolak met with company officials a few weeks ago, where the parent company, ENN Group, was described as the largest energy company in China. Company documents say it employs more than 25,000 worldwide in more than 100 subsidiaries. In 2010, it had revenue of $3.7 billion and assets of $6.1 billion.

ENN chose Laughlin after surveying the Southwest and finding few other states with large swaths of land available for development, Sisolak said. The company wants to sell the energy generated by the project to California power companies.

Sisolak said the selection of Nevada was aided by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s April trip to China, where he met ENN officials. “Sen. Reid sent them to me and we went from there,” Sisolak said.

Reid’s involvement will also be crucial for obtaining a federal waiver needed for the development to happen — the 5,400 acres under scrutiny are part of 9,000 acres conveyed to Clark County by the Colorado River Commission in 2007. County documents say the 5,400 acres are encumbered by a patent restriction that limits development “which must be waived or modified by the federal government to allow the proposed (solar) development.”

A spokesman for Reid’s office could not immediately be reached. Laughlin, with a population of less than 10,000, is unincorporated and operates with a board that has power only to advise the County Commission. The town manager did not return a call to the Sun.

[Tigerized]

What? There’s not enough room in China anymore?

You know Harry Reid’s grubby prints are over this proposed deal, as well as his son’s.

Isn’t it illegal to sell off the public’s land to foreign concerns?!

[opentalk]

this may be the real reason MSM has not covered it, Federal approval was needed

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"Laughlin, with a population of less than 10,000, is unincorporated and operates with a board that has power only to advise the County Commission."

Laughlin is cruisin' for a bruisin' by not incorporating.

Some conservatives think it's great to live in an unincorporated area: no property taxes, no sales tax, etc. Whoopee!

But all that means is that ultimately your fate is decided by the county or state. Maybe for now your non-town is of no concern to them, but eventually it will be.

There were lots of unincorporated areas in Colorado that were rounded up and slaughtered when the Californians moved in.

The same will happen to the few remaining outposts in Nevada unless they stand together and fight back.

And, heaven forfend, tax themselves so they can have the monetary reserves necessary to fight the future legal battles.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

The Gobi Desert
+ hundreds of thousands of underemployed workers
+ acre feet of Windex to keep the solar panels free of dust
---------------------
A bright solar future for China

[mdittmar]

Is harry retaliating against those that killed the ENN Mojave Energy solar plant attempt?

[MileHi]

There were lots of unincorporated areas in Colorado that were rounded up and slaughtered when the Californians moved in.

Such as?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Sorry. My post suggested that incorporated areas were becoming incorporated.

What I intended was that local unincorporated communities were being imposed on more and more by their county governments. Because the local communities have opted to save money by not incorporating and running their own governments, they are subject to the laws of the county.

Before the rush of Californians what the county wanted was pretty much in line with what the unincorporated communities wanted, but this is not so much the case anymore.

All of the people in the unincorporated areas of Boulder County, for example, pale in comparison to the people living in the cities of Boulder and Longmont. Longmont used to be decidedly conservative, but now even Longmont has been invaded by oddball liberal "new urbanism" schemes such as Prospect New Town.

Some of the restrictions may be OK with the residents of unincorporated cities such as restrictions on open fires, fireworks, marijuana operations, watering lawns, etc. Some of the "fees" that counties are charging to get around TABOR might also be acceptable to some of the new emigres living in their cute little mountain cabins.

I don't think it's going to end well for the unincorporated. Even in incorporated areas such as Erie, Superior, etc. the cities completely changed when the builders jammed in hundreds of new homes, bought up good shooting ranges, etc.

[crz]

This project was scrapped.

[MileHi]

Thanks. I was in unincorporated Jeffco for about 20 years. Loved the low taxes and the lack of city cops. The sheriff deputies were decent folks mostly.

Now in south park and there is even less government. So far everyone is just regular people to deal with. And no waiting lines!

[Crim]

bookmarked

[nomad]

So this is why they kicked those Bundy cattle off the range, so Dingy Harry could help his ChiCom friends?

[PA Engineer]

So this is why they kicked those Bundy cattle off the range, so Dingy Harry could help his ChiCom friends?

Yes.