Thursday, April 28, 2005 | 9:44 a.m.
Richard "Dick" Burdette, energy adviser to Gov. Kenny Guinn since December 2003, died Wednesday. He was 61.
A former member of the staff of the state Public Utilities Commission, he was credited with playing a key role in maneuvering through the Western energy crisis that brought the state's largest electric utilities to the brink of bankruptcy.
More recently with the governor's office, Burdette played a major role in fashioning renewable energy policy and staking Nevada's place in the proposed multi-billion dollar Frontier Line, an electric transmission project that could run through four Western states.
"This is just a rough day for us here," said PUC Chairman Don Soderberg.
Burdette, who had testified at the Legislature on Tuesday, was taken to the Carson-Tahoe Hospital on Wednesday morning where he died.
Before joining the governor's office, he worked for five years as manager of resource and market analysis.
"He was an extremely hard worker, he was a problem-solver and he had a great gift at building consensus," Guinn said. "His personality was such that you could never disagree with Dick."
Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said Burdette's work recently to gain a consensus between renewable energy plant developers, state utilities and financiers helped preserve the state's efforts to increase renewable energy development and usage.
"Without Dick that would have never, ever, ever happened," Townsend said. "That was a very dicey attempt, and he managed to get everybody to look at how we could all succeed and not what we disagree with."
Fred Schmidt, a utilities attorney, former PUC member and a former state consumer advocate, also praised Burdette's diplomatic skills.
"I consider myself lucky person to have been involved with him on many cases," he said.
Burdette's contributions also drew praise from utility executives.
"Over the past few years, Dick was instrumental in creating our state's energy policy and was dedicated to achieving a diverse, reliable and affordable energy supply for our state and its citizens," Walter Higgins, chief executive of Sierra Pacific Resources.
Cynthia Messina, a spokeswoman for Southwest Gas Corp., said, "Dick's in-depth knowledge of the utility industry, as well as his affable demeanor, made him a pleasure to work with. His diligence and comprehension of energy issues were impressive, and his talents will be sorely missed."
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