Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023
Has Elon Musk proposed to build an electric solar grid in Nevada the size of Rhode Island?
At an interview that took place during the National Governors Association 2017 Summer Meeting, Musk said:
“If you wanted to power the entire United States with solar panels, it would take a fairly small corner of Nevada, Texas, Utah […] You only need about 100 miles by 100 miles of solar panels to power the entire United States […] the batteries you need to store that energy to make sure you have 24/7 power is […] 1 square mile.”
Rhode Island, the smallest state in the U.S., is 48 miles North to South and 37 miles East to West.
Tesla recently announced a $3.6 billion expansion plan in Nevada to add factories to build electric semi trucks and batteries for light-duty vehicles.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- National Governors Association NGA 2017 SUMMER MEETING — Introducing the New Chair's Initiative "Ahead of the Curve", 44:24
- Review Zone Rhode Island Trivia
- AP News Tesla will invest $3.6B in Nevada truck factory expansion
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