Editorial: Improve blackout notification

Thursday, July 5, 2001 | 9:08 a.m.

Nevada Power officials attribute Monday's rolling blackouts in the Las Vegas Valley to events beyond their control: Several generating plants weren't able to operate, optional contracts for purchased power were pulled from the utility, and soaring temperatures created an intense demand for electricity throughout the West, especially here in Las Vegas. Nevada Power was hit all at once by a string of bad luck, which forced blackouts without warning. But that alone can't excuse the utility for failing to alert the public over the weekend that a serious shortage of energy could produce blackouts if not enough power was conserved.

The utility may not have wanted to unnecessarily alarm its customers over the weekend if the conditions eventually turned for the better, but this was a situation where Nevada Power's customers should have been told about the difficulties facing the company. On Tuesday Nevada Power did acknowledge that if similar conditions were to occur again, the company would err on the side of caution and let the public know sooner what was happening. For that matter, Nevada Power should be more receptive to implementing a sensible policy that would warn specific areas of the city in advance that they would lose their power if blackouts were to occur, a notice that California utilities provide. Nevada Power says that it poses a safety problem to let the public know this information, since any notification also would be available for criminals. The utility also cites th e logistical difficulty in carrying out the task. But Nevada Power, at the very least, should look at how California has ad! ! dressed those concerns in implementing its notification plan.

Blackouts in our desert climate during the summer can be dangerous. So the blackouts should serve as a wake-up call for Nevada Power, because if they occur again, they could be more severe the next time. In addition, the state Public Utilities Commission should investigate Nevada Power's performance during the blackouts. An independent assessment by state regulators of the company's handling of this situation is warranted. If there is a possibility that blackouts could happen, it's imperative that the public get more information, not less, from the power company.