NV Energy will eliminate nearly 100 positions

NV Energy said Friday that it will eliminate nearly 100 positions by next spring.

The company sent layoff notices on Monday to 95 workers in its local meter-reading and field-support departments. It plans to cut the jobs as it continues to install digital meters through its NVEnergize program. The notices said the electric company, which has 1,750 local employees, is eliminating the positions "due to lack of work." Layoffs start Oct. 24 and go through May 1.

NV Energy is replacing 1.3 million electric meters statewide with digital upgrades. The $301 million program, which received $138 million in federal economic stimulus funds, has already installed 500,000 new meters, and expects to finish by December 2012.

Digital meters communicate directly with the utility, eliminating the need for human readers in the field.

"While it is never easy to tell employees that positions will be eliminated, the company has been up front with meter service employees about eventual layoffs since early 2009," NV Energy stated. "Every effort is being made to communicate opportunities for redeployment within the company, so it is difficult to provide a total number of employees who may actually be laid off."

The company has been offering job and career workshops for meter readers for more than a year, as well as computer training for customer-service jobs. The company will place laid-off workers on recall for a year in case positions open.

In August, NV Energy offered meter readers and field-service workers $2,500 to resign and go to work for a contractor installing digital meters. None took the offer, a company representative said. The company also kept customer-service jobs open in anticipation of the layoffs so affected workers could apply.

The layoff notice lists multiple positions for customer-service representatives in NV Energy's call center, and directs employees to seek other open positions listed through its intranet. It also advises meter readers, who belong to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 396, that their collective bargaining agreement allows them to bump less-senior NV Energy employees in other jobs. It provides a form on which meter readers can list names of workers they want to displace, or positions they want to take.

Workers who don't find other jobs with the company will receive a severance package of as much as 18 weeks' pay, depending on length of service.

As the utility noted in its statement, the layoffs have been a long time coming.

The company told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in March 2010, when it unveiled NVEnergize, that the program could affect the 72 meter readers but also would create 200 new installation and service jobs.

The digital-meter initiative will save ratepayers $35 million a year in operating costs, the company said in a summer 2010 filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, which has signed off on NVEnergize. The company is developing programs that would alert ratepayers to their real-time power use, providing cues about cutting consumption. Lower power demand would save ratepayers on development costs for new generating stations, the company said.

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

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Comments

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

1. Patricia.DeCosta Oct. 18, 2011 | 8:11 a.m. Report Abuse

   I would like to know "who" at this time in our economy can make 5.2 Million and 2.5 Million. I am a native of 52 years, and our city has been raped. Turn in your salary to the company and just leave. I am sure someone could do the same job for a pay that is "fair".

2. sunrider Oct. 10, 2011 | 11:13 p.m. Report Abuse

   "The company told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in March 2010, when it unveiled NVEnergize, that the program could affect the 72 meter readers but also would create 200 new installation and service jobs."
   
   "The digital-meter initiative will save ratepayers $35 million a year in operating costs, the company said in a summer 2010 filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, which has signed off on NVEnergize."
   
   What?
   So in other words this program "created" a net total
   of 128 new jobs and at the same time saves $35 million per year. Get out the golden shovel!

3. NewNVRes Oct. 9, 2011 | 12:42 a.m. Report Abuse

   High Utility Rates are just another reason Heavy Manufacturing will not relocate to Nevada. Of Course our Brilliant Local Politicians would never know about that.

4. gbigs Oct. 8, 2011 | 5:56 p.m. Report Abuse

   rage against the machines. automation taking jobs? shocking...

5. HAROLD.HUMPHRIES Oct. 8, 2011 | 4:23 p.m. Report Abuse

   Who's idea was it to replace a good meter reader job. A good job, good benefits, no pressure, great retirement and great exercise. 40 hours a week, 2-3 weeks vacation. Job security.
   I sure hope the top got wack also. Next will be our mail man? Them you. Them who......... ?
   Forget about retirement, or a even a good night sleep. What next? It like when the "check engine " light comes on ater it came several times and you have repaired it. "What now"!? When will we have peace again? It all tempority jobs now.

6. TM Oct. 8, 2011 | 4:00 p.m. Report Abuse

   It has been a tough week for Las Vegas: American Family Insurance (50 layoffs), Bigelow Aerospace (40 layoffs), NV Energy (95 layoffs).

7. DMCVegas Oct. 8, 2011 | 1:36 p.m. Report Abuse

   Read the official quote from the NV Energy rep, and read it carefully:
   "Every effort is being made to communicate opportunities for redeployment within the company..."
   That's nothing more than a slick PR bit. Communicating an "opportunity" is no where near being the same as actually "assisting with transition to other positions within the company." All there doing is telling people to check the internal job boards. There is no mention of any assistance to the subjected employees at all. Not even special consideration as applicants who are facing unemployment. They all have to apply and move through the application process like everyone else, and most likely very few, if any will be retained as NV Energy employees in any capacity.

8. NewsFiend Oct. 8, 2011 | 10:36 a.m. Report Abuse

   Actually there is a company in california that wants to lease solar power to homeowners in Nevada but NVEnergy is fighting it so thaty can continue to raise your rates and pay huge salaries to a bunc of do nothng fat cats at the top.
   
   So they are using our money to lobby (bribe and payoff) politicians to keep competition out of Nevada.

9. Spazz Oct. 8, 2011 | 10:09 a.m. Report Abuse

   Save Ratepayers? What a joke, in the seven years I have been here my bills have never gone down, even cutting my usage in half as I have "uncomfortably" done because I am unemployed and chose to sweat rather than cool my poorly made, non insulated, rented house. I have paid more to Nevada Power than I spend in food and I have a teenage boy. Just had my smart meter installed mid-August and my bill went up up up with less usage. I cut my usage in half remember, why are my bills more? Now they are kicking people to the curb? The morals and ethics of Nevada companies never cease to amaze me. I suppose the brand new fleet of Nevada Power vehicles was justified?

10. gbigs Oct. 8, 2011 | 10:06 a.m. Report Abuse

    NV Energy is not diff than any public utility. if you dont like their stuff, then build a power plant in your backyard.

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