Just before NV Energy submits paperwork proving that it met its 12 percent renewable energy portfolio standard requirement for 2010, the company announced that it is seeking approval for new solar and geothermal projects that will bump its renewable portfolio to 15 percent.

The new acquisitions, if they are approved, will bring the utility closer to meeting Nevada’s renewable energy portfolio standard of 25 percent by 2025, NV Energy spokesman Mark Severts said.

“Right now, it looks like we’re going to be on target to hit that,” Severts said of the 2025 goal.

He said the company has already met, and perhaps exceeded the 2010 goal of getting 12 percent of its energy from renewable sources and will submit proof of that to the state on April 1.

NV Energy announced on Monday that it has applied to the Public Utilities Commission for approval on three new power purchase agreements that will total more than 100 megawatts of clean renewable energy. Among the three agreements are two large utility-scale solar projects, one in the city of North Las Vegas and another just to the east of North Las Vegas, according a company press release.

The new agreements include a 30-megawatt solar photovoltaic installation from California-based Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and a 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic project led by Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources, Severts said.

“We’re not building the projects,” Severts said of NV Energy. “We’re just agreeing to buy the power, so they can go forward and get financing to build.”

He said it will take a couple years before the major solar projects are completed and installed and online.

“These solar projects come online in unexpected ways,” Severts said. “We’re seeing a lot more lately.”

In addition to the two utility-scale solar projects, NV Energy contracted for approximately 2 megawatts of renewable portfolio credits for solar projects to be constructed by Amonix, Severts said.

The utility has also asked for approval to buy energy from a 51-megawatt nameplate capacity geothermal project near Dixie, Nev., according to the press release.

Severts said he expects the Public Utilities Commission to make a ruling on the projects by the middle of the year.

Image courtesy of Fotowatio Renewable Ventures.