Eldorado Valley: The gift that keeps on giving

Boulder City may be considered a small town with a population around 15,000 people, but our land mass of 212 square miles makes us the largest city by geographic area in Nevada and the 41st largest in the United States.

In 1995, the city purchased over 100,000 acres of the former Eldorado Valley Transfer Area from the Colorado River Commission for $1.28 million. The city invested in the land for public recreation and a desert tortoise preserve. Although not the original intent, that original investment continues to pay dividends to the residents of Boulder City in a variety of ways.

Boulder City’s developed land area is seven square miles: 3.4% is developed with homes in that small area. Southern Nevada is also one of the sunniest regions in the U.S. with approximately 320 days of sunshine a year. The construction of Hoover Dam in the 1930s and its transmission lines to the southwest is what gave birth to our community. However, it is the existence of those transmission lines today that allow the solar developers’ “pipelines” to distribute the power generated from the sun to western cities. Hydroelectric power helped establish our community, but as the drought continues to impact Lake Mead, the sun will keep us afloat.

In 2004, Boulder City began leasing city-owned land for solar energy production, and today, the city has leased - or placed under option to lease – more than 11,000 acres (approximately 18 square miles) of land for energy development. These solar leases generated $17 million in revenue in fiscal year 2024-25 or approximately 35% of the city’s annual budget. Solar leases are a stable source of revenue that help keep local property taxes low and allow the city to maintain our wonderful parks, public facilities and community services. Without these leases, essential services for our citizens would decrease and property taxes would rise. Our tax rate is the lowest in the state, while our utilities rates are in the bottom 25-percent nationwide.

In recent years, battery storage technology has developed, allowing utilities to provide power, even after the sun sets. Battery storage is a rapidly-evolving technology. Two facilities are in operation in Eldorado Valley, and two more are in the planning stages. While the space needed for these facilities require less acreage than the solar fields, the city has implemented an “Installed Battery Capacity Charge” based on the amount of energy stored. This creative approach benefits Boulder City by enhancing future revenue and capitalizing on land use in the area.

Thank you to Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, then-Mayor Eric Lundgaard and the many others who supported the city’s efforts in 1995. City staff is working on an article for next week’s Boulder City Review to share more of the benefits of Eldorado Valley. I hope these articles keep you informed about the 30-year-old gift that keeps giving.