Gibbons promotes energy director to new position

By David McGrath Schwartz, Cy Ryan

Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 | 5:10 p.m.

Gov. Jim Gibbons has promoted his director of the Office of Energy to a newly created job overseeing the state's renewable energy efforts, according to sources in the governor's office.

Hatice Gecol will fill the energy commissioner position, which oversees the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Authority.

It fills a vacancy that legislators and energy industry advocates had been clamoring for since May, when the legislation creating the new office passed. One of the position's key duties is to approve property and sales tax exemptions for projects that produce solar, geothermal and wind energy.

There had been no point person on the renewable energy positions.

Gecol's new position pays $117,030 a year, up from the $99,397 she currently gets.

Gecol's tenure has not been without controversy. Legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, complained of the pace that Gecol's office applied for federal stimulus funds. Nevada was one of the last states to get its program approved by the federal government.

Many of the duties now assigned to the director of energy will go to the new energy commissioner.

The new law calls for the creation of state and local government panels on renewable and efficient energy to advise the commissioner on the progress of energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofit projects at public buildings and school.

The law also requires the commission to develop a program for the safe disposal and recycling of electronic waste, electrical equipment and other waste, including the safe disposal and recycling of compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Gecol was unavailable to comment on Monday.

James Groth, an energy specialist in the Nevada National Guard, will replace Gecol as the director of the Office of Energy.