page_title: Nellis Solar Power Plant
section_title: Presidential visit
hierarchical_section_title: Nellis Solar Power Plant / Presidential visit
caption_attribution_description: President Barack Obama addressed a crowd of more than 450 Airmen, civilians and community leaders during a visit to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., at the Thunderbird Hangar, May 27. President Obama introduced the addition of two renewable energy programs by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) after a visit of Nellis' photovoltaic array. The PVA is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and supplies 25 percent of the base's enegy. The Recovery Act was signed Feb. 17 and included provisions that would stimulate and strengthen this nation's economic standing.
context_page_description: The Nellis Solar Power Plant is a 14-megawatt photovoltaic power station located within Nellis Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada, northeast of Las Vegas. The power plant was inaugurated in a ceremony on December 17, 2007, with Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons activating its full operation. On average, it has since generated 32 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and supplied more than 25% of the power used at the base.
  Occupying 140 acres of land leased from the Air Force at the northeastern corner of the base, this ground-mounted solar system employs an advanced sun tracking system, designed and deployed by SunPower. The system contains approximately 70,000 solar panels, and the peak power generation capacity of the plant is approximately 13 MWAC. This means the ratio of average to peak output, or capacity factor, of this plant is around 22%.
  The energy generated will support more than 12,000 military and civilians at Nellis who are responsible for Air Force advanced combat training, tactics development and operational testing. Construction began on April 23, 2007, and operation of the first 5 MW began on October 12, 2007.
context_section_description: President Barack Obama visited the facility and addressed an audience of more than 450 people on May 27, 2009.
caption: President Barack Obama at the Nellis Solar Power Plant in 2009
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