Energy proposal opposed

Erin Neff

Thursday, April 12, 2001 | 10:25 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A Senate panel on Wednesday expressed concerns about the heavy lobbying it had received against a proposal to allow the Colorado River Commission to provide electric service to municipal markets.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said he was surprised by the number of e-mails he had received urging him not to pass Senate Bill 211.

"They said it was going to hurt the power company," Coffin said.

But no one spoke against the measure during a hearing before the Senate's Natural Resources Committee.

In fact, municipalities lined up in support of the bill behind the Southern Nevada Water Authority, claiming it was a prudent step in an uncertain energy market.

Coffin said he attended a joint meeting of the water authority and the commission in February and learned the lobbyists' statements just weren't true.

SB211 expands the authority of the Colorado River Commission to allow it to sell electricity and provide transmission service or distribution service to any customer of the commission; to the Southern Nevada Water Authority and to any other municipal market in the state.

"The reliability of the power supply is of critical importance," said Pat Mulroy, general manager of the water authority.

Mulroy said that when the water authority launches the second phase of its water system next year it needs a reliable power system to pump the water to consumers.

"You cannot generate power in the desert without water, and you cannot move the water without the power," Mulroy said.

She said the water authority was turned down when it requested the power supply for the new system from Nevada Power. The authority then sent out requests for proposals and eventually began negotiating with the Colorado River Commission.

"We didn't want to get in the power business," Mulroy said.

Tim Hay, the state's consumer advocate, said he supported the measure given the volatile energy markets.

The committee did not vote on the bill Wednesday.