Legislators unable to amend renewable energy measure

Erin Neff

Thursday, May 24, 2001 | 11:22 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Once again Assembly Republicans lost a battle to amend an energy bill designed to spark construction of renewable energy plants in Nevada.

Senate Bill 372, introduced by the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, requires the state's overall energy portfolio to include an increasing amount of renewable energy by a certain date.

David Humke, R-Reno, attempted to amend the measure Wednesday just as he once tried to amend a similar measure into an identical Assembly energy bill.

The measure requires that the state's utilities receive 5 percent of power from renewable sources by 2003 and would have to increase that amount 2 percent per year until 2013. Renewable sources include wind, biomass, solar and geothermal.

Humke's amendment would have allowed an exemption from the requirement if the cost of renewables would exceed by 5 percent the cost of fossil fuel sources, or if the Public Utilities Commission determines the amount is not feasible.

"With energy prices increasing, now is not the time to raise the rates even more," Humke said.

"The issue here is whether we need to include renewables at any price," Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, said.

But Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, argued the state needs to "send a strong signal to renewables" to encourage them to come.

"There is nothing we can do to stop prices from rising," Buckley said.

Since Sierra Pacific already gets 9 percent of its power from geothermal sources, Buckley said the 2003 benchmark of 5 percent is moot. What's more, she added, the Legislature convenes again in 2003 and can address the measure again if any problems arise.

The attempt to amend the measure failed. The vote on the bill was 28-13-1, with Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, abstaining because he owns land that might be good for geothermal development.

Those voting against the bill were: Sharron Angle, R-Reno; Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas; Merle Berman, R-Las Vegas; Greg Brower, R-Reno; David Brown, R-Henderson; Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas; Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas; Don Gustavson, R-Sun Valley; Hettrick; John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain; Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas; Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson and Kathy Von Tobel, R-Las Vegas.

The measure is now forwarded to Gov. Kenny Guinn.