Nevada dairy farm could become solar facility

A land option agreement was brokered between Rockview Family Farms and Balanced Rock Power to convert the 2,000-acre dairy farm, Ponderosa Dairy, into a solar energy facility. BRP will “have the option” to acquire the land — with the option period estimated to be between two and five years, according to a news release from the parties. The dairy farm would relocate.

Due to rising operational costs and declining revenue, Rockview decided to come together with BRP to transform the farm altogether. Ponderosa Dairy has been struggling financially since 2023 due to fuel costs to transport, inflation and when their milk operator Meadow Gold lowered the price paid to Ponderosa by almost 15 percent.

“As the process moves forward, we are committed to working with Rockview to support job retraining programs for former dairy employees and partnering with the community on the project’s development and robust water conservation efforts,” said Melanie Falls, vice president of development at Balanced Rock Power.

The purchasing of water rights is included in the agreement, which is one of the main concerns of Amargosa Valley residents and water conservation activists. Dairy is one of the largest consumers of water in the valley, according to activists — after the transition into a solar facility, it is expected to draw “significantly less water, potentially reducing overall water usage from the local basin,” said a news release from Rockview and BRP.

“While it is difficult to transition away from dairy farming in Amargosa, we see this agreement as a great opportunity for Ponderosa Dairy and the community as we face the difficult decision to transition away from dairy farming in Amargosa,” said Ted Degroot, principal of Rockview Family Farms and managing owner of Ponderosa Dairy.

Rockview will continue to be in the dairy industry and is in the final stages of negotiating the purchase of a farm in Smith Valley, in northern Nevada, near South Lake Tahoe. The farm is expected to be operational in 2026 and will allow for lower costs to haul feed and milk, a larger water supply and the “the ability to capture the methane from cow manure to produce green renewable energy.”

Ponderosa Dairy employs around 200 people for roles such as farmhands, truck drivers and technicians as of 2023, all of which will receive job training from BRP and Rockview to prepare them for construction jobs in the region. Degroot says they remain “committed to supporting our employees with the training they need to qualify for new jobs” and believes solar will best support the Amargosa Valley community.

The dairy farm will continue to operate until BRP completes feasability studies on solar development in the area.

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.