The combined value of the 25 largest projects to break ground in the Southwest in 2014 has again topped the prior year. However, this time the yearly total exceeds the previous year by more than $1 billion.
Buoyed by Tesla's lithium battery "gigafactory" in Sparks, Nev., at $2.25 billion, the ENR Southwest 2014 Top Starts list exceeds $5 billion. A parallel between 2013 and 2014 is that Nevada is driving the Southwest market, especially with high-dollar, high-profile projects. In addition to the Tesla plant, there are three other Nevada projects that make up the four largest starts in the Southwest for 2014: the Moapa Solar Plant, First Solar Silver State South and the MGM/AEG arena.