When finished, NV Energy's estimated $1-billion Gemini Solar Project is set to become the eighth-largest solar power facility in the world, spanning some 7,100 acres of federal land and generating enough electricity to power 260,000 homes in the region.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt called approval of the project "one more step forward as the president is moving forward and transitioning" to reopen the economy. "It has a significant potential for construction jobs" during a real "tough time for folks," Bernhardt said in an interview Monday.

The Interior Department has estimated that as many as 900 workers could be involved at any given time during construction. Developers aim to build the project in two phases over roughly 28 months, with the first portion coming online in early 2021 and final facility completion as early as 2022.