Local Action, Real Impact: Reno Shows Up for Clean Energy

Clean energy wins are happening in local communities, with real people leading the charge outside their daily lives, work, and families to push for and advocate for our clean energy future. 

That’s what recently happened in Reno, Nevada, where our POW crew and local community members rallied behind the Trego Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), a 200-megawatt project designed to store clean energy and help reduce strain on the grid during periods of high demand. This project allows energy storage to power a small city (or up to 68,000 households in the area).

It’s time to build for our clean energy future. This project allows for safer, cheaper, and more accessible energy to power our daily lives. And as an added benefit, projects like BESS can generate approximately $14 million of economic activity per 5 megawatts, which is… huge.    

For Dr. Anne Nolin, Snow Hydrologist, Professor in the Geography Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Science Alliance Member at Protect Our Winters, this project was personal. For Dr. Nolin, supporting this project felt like a tangible way to contribute to climate solutions at the local level.

Who is BESS, and What is She Doing in Trego? 

The project itself is relatively straightforward: battery storage allows clean energy, like solar, to be stored and used later when energy demand spikes. It’s a critical piece of building a more reliable, clean energy system.

What’s important to understand is how common and likely it is that these projects are stalled and stomped out at the local level—fear of the unknown, uncertainty, and a dash of nimbyism. Much of that tension stems from a lack of familiarity, especially with newer technologies like battery storage.

Anne admitted she had questions at first, too. After learning more about the project and the technology behind it, she felt confident supporting it. The Trego project uses Lithium Iron Phosphate battery technology, which is considered significantly safer than traditional lithium-ion systems. These initiatives, however, need people to show up for them. And in Reno, they did. 

Speaking Up for Clean Energy Systems

According to Anne, regarding the community statements: “They were well informed, well-spoken, and all were in strong support of the Trego project.” For many people, speaking publicly at hearings can feel intimidating. But Anne said participating in the process was empowering.

As communities across the country wrestle with how to build the infrastructure needed for a clean energy future, projects like Trego offer a reminder that local organizing works and that climate progress depends on people being willing to show up.

Every public hearing where outdoor advocates, scientists, and community members speak in favor of clean energy signals to local decision-makers that there is support for climate-forward infrastructure in their communities.

What’s Next for Nevada (And the Rest of Us)

The win in Reno is showing us what’s possible for the rest of the country. The clean energy transition requires grit, passion, and consistency. Something we all possess as outdoor enthusiasts.

Anne pointed out a valuable point: showing up and participating in local government is a lot less intimidating than people think. Testifying for a project or systems change that you believe in feels empowering, energizing, and provides strong insight into how decisions are made in our cities and towns across the United States.

At a time when progress towards a future with clean air, water, and a healthy planet feels slow, wins like this matter. POW will continue to show up, fight for our future, and provide you with the resources to advocate for clean energy in your backyard. 

And for anyone still unsure about supporting projects like battery storage or transmission infrastructure, Anne’s perspective is simple: get involved. Learn more. Show up. Local action is climate action. 

Ready to advocate for clean energy in your neighborhood? Get access to our Clean Energy Toolkit to learn how to advocate at the local level for more renewable energy!

Author: Ollie Bowen

Raised in the Midwest but now proudly rooted in Vermont, Ollie has found home in the mountains, forests, and waterways of the Northeast. Whether climbing, camping, hiking, sailing, or snowboarding, they find joy and grounding in time spent outdoors. Before joining Protect Our Winters as Digital Marketing Coordinator, Ollie worked in Internal Communications at Burton […]