Letter: Nevada could take the lead on renewable energy

Friday, April 27, 2001 | 4:18 a.m.

I felt it necessary to respond to the misinformation in George Dix's April 11 letter, "Guinn praised for power moves": The Sierra Club has not blocked or delayed any new power plants in California in the last 10 years. In 1995 we supported the construction of a 1,400 megawatt plant near San Jose, which was blocked by Cisco Systems. Out of the 21 power plant proposals since 1997, competing power companies intervened and slowed the process in 12 cases. The truth is, the utility companies and generators have been more worried about their bottom line than California's rolling blackouts.

The Sierra Club has long been in favor of updating old, inefficient generating plants with cleaner ones that produce more power from less natural gas. The less dependent we are on limited resources, such as natural gas, petroleum, and coal, the more stable our energy future is and our pocketbooks.

The price of many renewable energy technologies has declined by more than 60 percent. Over the past decade alone, the cost of wind-generated electricity has dropped by more than 80 percent. Unfortunately, renewable energy faces an energy market heavily slanted toward fossil fuel technology through subsidies and tax incentives.

America cannot remain a world power in the 21st century while relying on 19th century fossil fuel technology to generate energy. Nevada, which is rated among the top states for its renewable potential, now has an opportunity to diversify its economy, provide consumer protection, and lead the West in alternative energy. Let's not miss it.

JESSICA HODGE Conservation organizer, Sierra Club