Nevada environmental and economic leaders said Monday that a task force reconstituted by Gov. Brian Sandoval is a great opportunity to move the state forward on green energy development, from solar and geothermal to wind power.
Energy
Ten state lawmakers received a tour of Tesla’s secretive new battery gigafactory under construction east of Reno on Wednesday.
About 40 protesters marched down Virginia Street here Tuesday in opposition to a competitive oil and gas lease sale conducted by the U.S Bureau of Land Management.
For nearly two hours Tuesday night, more than 13,000 southeast valley NV Energy customers did not have power. An NV Energy spokeswoman said an accident near a substation at 5640 Stephanie St. triggered the temporary blackout.
Construction workers at Tesla’s battery factory east of Reno walked off the job Monday, claiming a contractor has been bringing in lower-paid workers from out of state.
Attorney General Adam Laxalt filed a friend-of-the-court brief Wednesday challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to impose new regulations over power plant emissions.
NV Energy has acknowledged that it is part of a coalition challenging a referendum petition filed by rooftop solar supporters seeking a public vote in November to return Nevada’s net metering program back to more favorable rates for homeowners.
Gov. Brian Sandoval signed an executive order Tuesday reactivating a task force to advise the administration on ways to promote and distribute renewable energy resources in Nevada, including rooftop solar.
A new solar plant that can store the sun’s energy and generate power day or night is now in full commercial operation outside of Tonopah.
A state lawmaker said Friday that Nevada utility regulators went too far by eliminating a disputed subsidy for net metering customers because the rooftop solar industry has been decimated by the decision.
The rooftop solar firm SolarCity has received a second $400,000 grant in support of its Las Vegas-based financial services business from the governor’s economic development office. The Catalyst Fund grant — the second of up to three — was awarded earlier this week.
An anticipated legal challenge to a proposed referendum petition to restore Nevada’s net metering program to more favorable rates has been filed in District Court.
Nevada’s seemingly contradictory renewable energy policies were in focus Tuesday as officials dedicated the first utility-scale solar facility to be owned and operated by NV Energy.
State utility regulators on Friday approved a phased-in rate increase for rooftop-solar customers over 12 years, rejecting a recommendation from NV Energy and others to grandfather in existing net metering customers under previous, more favorable rates for 20 years.
A new draft proposal from a state utility regulator posted Wednesday would not grandfather in existing rooftop solar customers under former, more favorable net metering rates despite NV Energy’s recommendation that they be protected for 20 years.