Nevada legislators continue quest to block plant sales

John Wilkerson

Tuesday, March 20, 2001 | 11:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Lawmakers hit more delays Monday in trying to pass a measure that pulls the plug on the sale of Nevada power plants to avoid California-style energy problems.

"The goal of this bill is only stopping the divestiture of power plants and making sure it's constitutional," said Senate Commerce and Labor Chairman Randolph Townsend, R-Reno. "And that's not as easy as it sounds."

Townsend's comment just before his committee began working on SB253 was prophetic -- witnesses kept bringing up the need for more flexibility in the measure.

Translation: Don't kill all deals by stopping Reno-based Sierra Pacific Power and Las Vegas-based Nevada Power from selling their Nevada power plants until June 2003 - and possibly until 2006.

Pete Ernaut, a lobbyist for Reliant Energy which has been trying to buy a power plant, said unforeseen market changes could make a plant sale before 2003 a deal that would be in the public's interest.

"If you put a two-year moratorium on these plants, all these deals are going to go away," he said. "When the cow leaves the barn, it's difficult to catch."

Townsend had hoped to wrap up committee work on SB253 on Monday. Now it's up for review again Wednesday in the Commerce and Labor Committee.

Reliant isn't the only company trying to keep power plant purchases alive. Earlier this month, executives of Pinnacle West Energy told the committee that it's in the public's interest to allow Sierra Pacific Resources to sell its Harry Allen power plant.