Bright idea

Friday, May 29, 2009 | 3 a.m.

Nevada’s five-member congressional delegation, with three Democrats and two Republicans, often splits along party lines on contentious national issues. But when all five are on the same page, the state often enjoys the benefits that a unified delegation can bring.

We believe that would be the case if our two senators and three House members convince their colleagues in Congress to approve the Renewable Energy Permitting Act, which the Nevadans co-sponsored.

As reported last week by Stephanie Tavares in an In Business Las Vegas column, the legislation would allow the state and its counties to collect rental fees paid by solar and wind companies for renewable energy projects on federal land. All of that money goes to the federal government, but the bill would divert 50 percent of the rental fees to the state and 25 percent to the county where the project is located.

The potential for millions of dollars in new revenue that the legislation would bring is sorely needed by the state and counties, whose funding sources have been sapped by the slumping economy.

Just as important, the ability to collect rental fees should give Nevada and the counties greater incentive to aggressively recruit solar and wind energy companies to do business in this state.

We hope that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. John Ensign, and Reps. Shelley Berkley, Dina Titus and Dean Heller are able to build on this momentum by continuing to work together on initiatives that will help Nevada develop a substantial renewable energy industry.

That effort will not only help the state diversify its economy, but it will also help Nevadans do their part to help reduce the harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.