Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 | 2 a.m.
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Improved energy efficiency is a no-brainer to boost the health and economic stability of Nevada residents and businesses.
Modest investments in efficient lighting, insulation, commercial retrofits and appliances pay off quickly, put more money in our pockets and reduce hard-to-stomach summer energy bills. As our population grows, efficiency will help Nevada meet its energy needs without building expensive new power plants.
Equally important, investments in energy efficiency will reduce our dependence on dirty carbon energy sources that sicken us and our planet. Pollution from coal-fired power plants is implicated in asthma, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and learning disabilities in children. As a family physician, I see the bad health effects of long-term exposure to pollution from dirty energy sources.
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission has the opportunity to advance energy efficiency at its open hearing Thursday. I encourage citizens and the commission members to support maximum funding for energy efficiency projects.
Energy efficiency provides short-term jobs, long-term economic stability and, best of all, better health for all.






"Modest investments in efficient lighting, insulation, commercial retrofits and appliances pay off quickly, put more money in our pockets and reduce hard-to-stomach summer energy bills"
Just a little surprised but the rest of us started this 20 years ago - good that you decided to catch up
Unless and until we can build an electric car that competes comparably with gas cars in price, power and peformance, [and thanks to government subsidies we have trying for over 100 years], all this talk about energy efficiency is self-serving. Give the energy money to the space program instead. It [space program] has proved a better investment in its 50 years.
CarmineD
Joanne,
Conservation is a great idea... a great idea that's been corrupted by the state legislature.
"A recommendation is going to the state Public Utility Commission on Thursday to allow NV Energy to collect $10.2 million from its customers for electricity they never used."
"The law permits utilities to collect revenue lost because of conservation programs that lower electric use."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/dec...
Your energy bills will continue to increase, even if you've worked to conserve energy.
Welcome to the world of the Nevada Legislature, where corrupt NVEnergy lobbyists convince gullible state representatives to pass bills that allow them to charge MORE when people use less energy.
Improved energy efficiency is a no-brainer to boost the health and economic stability of Nevada residents and businesses.
Joanne have you been keeping up with the latest news? Energy efficiency just cost the NV Energy users $10.2 million. Not good for the populace and certainly doesn't help the energy efficiency agrument.
How about drought tolerant landscaping instead of lawns? Businesses and schools could save a bundle on maintenance costs to say nothing of saving water. And say, saving maintenance costs means also saving the energy, electric, gas and otherwise, consumed to maintain.
Most of the homes we upgrade don't need external power sources. What seems to be the norm in Las Vegas is convenience, sloth and ignorance along with an attachment to thought processes typical of 1952.
Most of the world is moving towards a strategy whereby SUSTAINABILITY is the watchword.
When we buy a place or renovate one for someone, we find every opportunity to upgrade everything we can find. The homes get air sealing, insulation, indoor air quality provisions, efficient lighting and appliances along with a heating/cooling scheme that barely needs to consume resources. And then we supply the equipment for the sun to power the place.
These are NOT new ideas. Several years ago, California contractor Dave Robinson began training folks in this process, and today many folks around the country are buying crap and whupping some alchemy onto the homes and TAADAA we are finding sustainable homes and very happy home-owners with checks from the utilities, not bills.
Health and safety are number one considerations. Our little planet is included in this too, so the health and safety extends from place to place to wrap this little world up in sanity and opportunity for growth rather than the invitation to die from stupidity and its attendant bad air, stinking water and wasted resource.
Good letter, doctor. Let the healing begin.