Companies seeking to leave Nevada Power form new coalition

CARSON CITY — A group of rooftop-solar firms and three major companies seeking to leave Nevada Power Co. and buy their own electricity on the wholesale market on Thursday announced the creation of a new group called the Nevada Coalition to Protect Ratepayers.

The coalition, which includes the Las Vegas Sands Corp., Wynn Resorts Ltd., Sunrun, SolarCity and Switch, said in an announcement, it will work to promote increased market choices that will reduce costs and increase energy options. Coalition members are committed to exploring options that will protect existing ratepayers, the announcement said.

“This coalition is about promoting competition,” said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. “Competition drives down prices, gives consumers more choices in how they get their electricity and has created jobs for Nevada.”

The coalition was founded “to bring conversation and action to a pathway for more competitive and innovative energy options in Nevada” by advocating for free market solutions. The coalition is an open organization and expects many more members to join in the coming year.

“In an ongoing effort for Las Vegas Sands Corp. to be an industry-leading sustainable organization responsive to our guests and shareholders, it is essential that we have the option to purchase increased amounts of clean and affordable renewable energy to provide to our guests and corporate events on our property,” said Norbert Riezler, senior vice president, chief procurement & sustainability officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Sands recently filed its application with the Nevada Public Utilities Commission to leave Nevada Power. Wynn Resorts has also filed an application. A decision by the PUC on Switch’s application to leave is expected within the next few weeks.

The coalition said one of its main goals is to help Nevada ratepayers by requesting that the PUC and the Bureau of Consumer Protection be more innovative when helping NV Energy introduce new programs that enable the utility to offer a more competitive portfolio of energy options. Increased market freedom will also allow companies to meet the demands of their consumers to purchase more renewable and environmentally friendly sources of power, the announcement said.

“The efficient, cost effective and ecologically sound use of power is no longer a choice. It should be a requirement,” said Rob Roy, Founder and CEO of Switch. “The response to these increasing demands on consumers’ needs to be sustainable and respectful of our natural resources. It is extremely important to Switch that we power the next evolution of the Internet with green energy.”

Nevada has become a national leader in solar job growth, and in 2014 had the most solar per capita in the United States. However, a state-mandated limit on the ability of Nevadans to go solar has limited further growth and put 6,000 good paying jobs in jeopardy as the state Legislature waits to address this issue.

The 3 percent net metering cap could be reached as early as this summer. One state lawmaker, Sen. Patricia Farley, R-Las Vegas, is proposing that the PUC address the net metering issue.