Monday, March 4, 2013 | 2:01 a.m.
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Nevada is home to tremendous untapped clean energy potential, as Sen. Harry Reid eloquently described in his recent address to the Nevada Legislature. The sensible reforms to the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard that he outlined should be implemented without delay.
Nevada’s Renewable Portfolio Standard should chart a course toward additional solar, geothermal and wind investments while closing loopholes such as credits for an out-of-state hydroelectric project built more than a century ago.
While some sectors of the economy have slumped, renewable energy has provided jobs and tax revenues. The world’s largest solar power tower project is being constructed in Nevada, and the state is a leader in deployment of geothermal energy.
Last summer, Nevada’s first utility-scale wind project went online near Ely; 152 megawatts will generate more than $20 million in tax revenue for White Pine County and the state’s Renewable Energy Fund over the next 20 years.
The renewable energy industry wants to bring more projects and jobs to Nevada, and Reid’s plan could help keep this important economic sector thriving for years to come. The Legislature should lead the way.
The author is the executive director of the Interwest Energy Alliance, an industry trade association that represents renewable energy companies in the West, including Nevada.
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