Quantcast
MobileRJ | RSS TwitterTwitter FacebookFacebook E-mail Alerts
Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

sponsored by
Business
Nov. 04, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Electric rate that would spark 'green' jobs will receive study

By JENNIFER ROBISON
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
More Info

An interim legislative committee on Tuesday asked the state Public Utilities Commission to investigate a new form of electric rate that supporters say would boost "green" energy jobs.

But the rate would also increase consumers' power costs, advocates acknowledged.

Most Popular Stories
  • Fraud with Portent
  • Debt-ridden casino operators told to expect pressure
  • REAL ESTATE: Las Vegas home prices stabilize as threat of foreclosure flood wanes
  • GAMING COMPANY EARNINGS: Station drops $455.4 million
  • THE STRIP: License approved for Aria
  • GLOBAL GAMING EXPO: Recession over? Don't bet on it
  • Union wants insiders to help pull Station from bankruptcy
  • Foreclosure wave continues
  • INSIDE GAMING: Missouri outburst hurts Lee, Pinnacle
  • THE STRIP: License backed for Aria




    • At issue are feed-in tariffs, or power rates that assure generators of renewable energy that they'll be paid a fair price based on production costs, and they'll receive that price in contracts that run as long as 25 years.

    Bob Tregilus, co-chair of the Electric Auto Association of Northern Nevada, testified that guaranteed rates would bolster development of renewable energy because such power sources require "huge amounts" of startup capital. Developers would feel more confident about such investments if they knew they'd recoup building costs.

    Feed-in tariffs are popular in Europe: Some countries, such as Germany, have used the rates to finance green-power development for nearly 20 years.

    In Germany, feed-in tariffs have added nearly 5 percent to consumers' power costs. But Tregilus credited the tariffs with creating 280,000 green jobs in the country of 82 million. He also said the tariff cost in Nevada could be half of what it is in Germany because of the Silver State's abundant renewable resources, which include nonstop sunshine and a multitude of geothermal hot spots.

    Committee member and state Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, added that Germany has installed more than 22,000 megawatts of wind power and more than 3,800 megawatts of solar power since it began charging feed-in tariffs in 1991.

    "Those are impressive results," Schneider said.

    But feed-in tariffs haven't fared so well in the United States. Only a few states and cities have implemented the rates, and many of those efforts have failed to yield optimum results.

    Sara Birmingham, director of Western policy for the Solar Alliance, said many U.S. jurisdictions have had trouble finding the right tariff balance. Set rates too low, and developers won't step up. Make them too high, and a jurisdiction can generate more interest than it can handle, and surplus profits for developers could result.

    "Neither are outcomes we want to see," Birmingham said.

    Jurisdictions attempting to use feed-in tariffs also run into trouble setting long-term prices that will remain "fair" for years to come, Birmingham said.

    "The United States hasn't quite gotten it right yet, but this is an open invitation to you, and hopefully, Nevada will get it right," Birmingham said.

    The legislative committee asked the Public Utilities Commission to look into the feasibility of feed-in tariffs in Nevada. Commissioner Rebecca Wagner said the agency would put an item on its Nov. 19 agenda to launch the process of considering the rates.

    Contact reporter Jennifer Robison at jrobison@review journal.com or 702-380-4512.

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 13 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

    RealJobs wrote on November 04, 2009 05:16 PM: Green jobs are meaningless politically correct jobs. Taxpayers pay for these jobs. If you want to create real jobs, meaningful jobs, then do what it takes to stimulate the private sector. Harry, of course, will not understand this. I am voting for creating real, meaningful, jobs in Clark County. I am voting against those who Blacklisted Las Vegas.


    glaore wrote on November 04, 2009 01:24 PM: Paul

    I don't care if it's liberal or republican't they are looking at this which means they would do it in a heart beat if the reaction wasn't bad.

    they are all bums


    SamT wrote on November 04, 2009 12:53 PM: Green=Red.

    How heartening it is to know the LV Chamber of Commerce is "Green" now.


    Paul wrote on November 04, 2009 11:52 AM: I'm glad all of you "conservatives" (republicans) are experts on the economy, energy, science, and European government policies! You've already made up you minds about feed-in tariffs and the potential good that could come from green energy.

    Please note that you didn't read the story correctly...there is going to be a study by the PUC...it will then be brought to the legislature for review, debate, consideration.

    The study may yield a positive, negative or neutral position. Don't pee your pants yet...let's wait for the completed study. By the way...the PUC Commissioners, Chairman Thompson and Rebecca Wagner, who control the votes, are republicans.

    By the way...Senator Schneider, who has been endorsed by every major business group in the state, is term-limited. He has been an outstanding friend to business over the years and his steady, thoughtful leadership will be missed when his term expires after the next session.

    As a member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce I'm proud to say we've supported Senator Schneider over the years and would support him no matter what his party affiliation. At the end of the day his deliberate leadership will steer Nevada in the right direction.


    Too_much_government wrote on November 04, 2009 11:19 AM: More influence for that political scion criminal Socialist Al Gore.


    Mac wrote on November 04, 2009 09:52 AM: You cannot create a "job" by taxing others. Sucking blood from a productive host and giving it to a worthless parasite is not "creating jobs". This is as dumb as "Tax and Trade".

    Oh boy, can't wait for the U.S. to join socialist Europe. "It works so well there."


    not funny wrote on November 04, 2009 09:27 AM: Just one of the creative ways liberals are trying to take your money and give it to their supporters


    Health care wrote on November 04, 2009 09:24 AM: Who cares about green electric jobs? I'm with Obama and Reid, let's get the profit out of health care first, then we can destroy what's left from the power grid and housing. Just think, free health care, free rent and all the free electric you will ever need paid for by those greedy corporations.

    By far the smartest President and administration the USA has ever had.


    SamT wrote on November 04, 2009 09:01 AM: Impressive is Mike Schneider's, D-Las Vegas (naturally), foolishly, un-informed enthusiasm for raising energy costs, for projects that clearly cannot survive without massive subsidy.

    Toss Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, at the very next opportunity.

    @Rusty: Thanks Mate!


    rusty57 wrote on November 04, 2009 08:33 AM: Don, i didn't think they were funded by 'green' groups. The study seems to follow what has happened in Spain and England w/r to the mythical "green jobs".


    Read All Comments