Thursday, June 21, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.
WASHINGTON - One of the big debates under way on the massive energy bill going through Congress is so 2001.
Democrats want to require utility companies to acquire part of their electricity from green sources such as wind and solar - a mandate Nevada and half the states have already established.
The debate shows once again that when it comes to environmental issues and efforts to stem global warming, the states , particularly those in the West, have taken the lead with their own rules in the face of inaction by the federal government.
That sentiment was underscored this week when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reminded Democratic leaders of what his state is doing to curb global warming with a carbon trading system. He suggested that Congress take similar action.
More than 20 states , including Nevada , have established standards that require utility companies to buy or generate power from renewable sources such as wind, solar or geothermal. When Nevada's standards were enacted in 2001, they were the strongest in the nation.
Now, Congress has a chance to catch up. The measure calls for utility companies nationwide to use renewable resources to fulfill 15 percent of their energy needs by 2020.
Supporters say the proposal would cut carbon emissions that cause global warming by 180 million metric tons a year and save consumers $16 billion on their energy bills by 2030.
But resistance is fierce. For instance, Southern states that rely on coal, gas and nuclear energy say their customers will end up paying higher electrical bills because the region does not have the ample sources of sun or wind energy sources that Nevada and some other states do.
Opponents warn that any preference for renewable sources could kill the entire package.
Daniel Geary, Nevada's representative for the National Environmental Trust, said the coming days will show whether Congress is ready to lead the nation into a new era of renewable energy use or stand by the fossil fuel industries that contribute to global warming.
"A national renewable portfolio standard would be a huge step forward," Geary said. "Our future for energy security is either going to be same old, same old, or it's going to be a brand - new day."
In Nevada, the state's energy providers , Nevada Power and its parent company Sierra Pacific Power , have had difficulty meeting the state's ambitious goal. Carson City revised the standard two years ago as progress lagged, and the state now aims for 20 percent renewable energy by 2015, with up to one-fourth coming from efficiency.
But this year, with the opening of the nation's largest solar power generating system outside Henderson, the state expects to meet its benchmark. The company expects to meet the goal.
Tom Fair, the executive for renewable energy at Nevada Power, said the nation is undergoing a massive shift in attitude toward energy supplies and utility companies have little choice but to deal in renewables or be left behind.
Fair said generating renewable energy on a large scale "is not going to happen if we sit back on our hands passively. So much has to be done, you have to take a proactive stance."
But opponents in the Senate, led by Sen. Pete Domenici, R- N.M., want to expand the list of allowable energy sources to include nuclear and some coal technologies that do not emit carbon.
The Domenici-led alternative failed decisively in the Senate, but forced Democrats on Wednesday to offer a more modest plan that requires 11 percent of energy to come from renewable sources, instead of 15 percent.
Those backing the measure expect the change will help get votes and soothe opposition.
"This takes us forward," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, legislative director for the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental lobby.
Lobbyists for the utility companies were considering the latest changes, but said a national standard would lead to higher electrical bills for consumers. Utilities say the federal government should not step in where states are already addressing the renewable issue .
Companies in the Southeast and Midwest say they will be forced to buy renewables from out of state or pay fees for failing to meet the standard. "If you live in a state where the wind doesn't blow, the sun doesn't shine, or the switch grass doesn't grow, all the technology in the world isn't going to make much of a difference," said Dan Riedinger, spokesman for the Edison Electric Institute, an industry lobby.
A utility-commissioned study said a 15 percent federal standard would cost consumers $175 billion by 2030.
Sittenfeld said she hoped the Senate would come on board. "It's well past time for the federal government, " she said. "Things like renewable portfolio standards they are down payment of getting to the reductions we need."
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