Energy

Amargosa Valley solar plant to use less water: Tuesday, November 17, 2009; By Stephanie Tavares; A California-based solar developer has abandoned plans to use one of the most water-intensive technologies at a solar thermal power plant it has planned for Amargosa Valley, the company announced Monday.

In Nevada, nuclear raises touchy issues: Saturday, November 14, 2009; Plants’ voracious thirst, state’s Yucca stand complicate idea for Ely; By Stephanie Tavares; Nevada’s long-standing common sense argument against Yucca Mountain has been that the state doesn’t even have a nuclear plant, so it would be patently wrong to force it to be the nuke dump site for the rest of the nation. That line might not be valid in the future, however. Ely is considering going nuclear.

Advocating a little pain at pump: Thursday, November 12, 2009; Scholar with logical but unpopular idea will give talk today; By J. Patrick Coolican; To conserve energy, we need a higher gas tax. But wait, before you get angry: We’ll offset it with a cut in your income or payroll taxes.

Nevada gas prices up 4 cents, well below national hike: Wednesday, November 11, 2009; By Kyle Hansen; Nevada has largely been spared the rise in gas prices seen across the nation over the last month, according to AAA’s monthly fuel price report. The auto club said Tuesday that the average price for a gallon of gas in Nevada rose 4 cents over the past month, well short of the nationwide average of 18 cents.

One state's trash …: Tuesday, November 10, 2009; Promisingly for Nevada, planned show plant aims to turn waste from other places into energy; By Stephanie Tavares; Californians are planning on dumping more of their garbage in Nevada, and federal law says Nevada can’t simply ban it, officials say. So Gov. Jim Gibbons and others are proposing that Californians pay for a state-of-the-art recycling and waste-to-energy plant that could turn that garbage into much-needed revenue.

Wood: Not the renewable energy some had in mind: Monday, November 9, 2009; State requirement prompts experimental mixing with coal; By Stephanie Tavares; When people talk about renewable energy, many mean the latest in clean-energy technology, not a fuel that was pioneered by cavemen. But for NV Energy, what’s old is new again. At the Reid Gardner coal plant about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, the utility last month began mixing wood chips with the coal burned to produce electricity at the plant.

Boulder City weighs first electricity rate hike in 20 years: Saturday, November 7, 2009; By Tiffany Gibson; Boulder City residents and businesses might see an increase in electricity rates starting Jan. 1, if the City Council passes a proposed resolution. City officials are proposing the rate hike to help pay for increased contract prices with NV Energy estimated to cost the city about $4 million over the next year.

Southwest Gas reports $8.3 million loss for third quarter: Thursday, November 5, 2009; By Sun Staff; Southwest Gas Corp. on Thursday said its third-quarter loss narrowed from a year earlier. The Las Vegas company lost $8.3 million or 18 cents per share vs. a loss in 2008's third quarter of $16.7 million or 38 cents.

Companies vying to power Nevada's future: Sunday, November 1, 2009; To realize renewable energy’s potential, Nevada needs transmission lines. Two utilities want to build them, but at what cost to customers?; By Stephanie Tavares; NV Energy’s plan to build a transmission line to move electricity between the northern and southern parts of the state could unnecessarily stick ratepayers with a half-billion-dollar bill, the state’s consumer advocate warns.

Nevada to receive $92 million in energy grants: Thursday, October 29, 2009; By Mary Manning; Nevada is expecting to receive more than $92 million in stimulus grants from the Department of Energy for geothermal exploration and technology projects ranging from finding new sources of power to adding power generation to existing plants.

House approves bill to remember nuclear defense workers: Wednesday, October 28, 2009; By Lisa Mascaro; WASHINGTON -- It may be a simple gesture, but the House today overwhelmingly approved a resolution that establishes Friday as a day of remembrance for Nevada Test Site workers and other employees of the nation’s nuclear defense industry.

Labor secretary tours NV Energy building, announces stimulus funds: Wednesday, October 28, 2009; The ECONOMY:; By Nicole Lucht; Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is confident that the clean energy economy will create tens of thousands of jobs, most of which will be long-term careers, she said today in Las Vegas. Solis was in town to tour an NV Energy building before announcing $138 million in stimulus funds awarded to the utility. NV Energy was one of 100 companies to receive a portion of $3.4 billion in stimulus funds directed toward smart grid investment.

Panel rejects Southwest Gas rate hike request: Wednesday, October 28, 2009; By Cy Ryan; CARSON CITY – Southwest Gas originally asked to raise rates in Southern Nevada by an average of 4 percent.

$17.3 million National Guard solar project advances: Monday, October 26, 2009; By Cy Ryan; CARSON CITY – The state has cleared another hurdle to permit a Sparks company to go forward with a $17.3 million project to install solar panels at three National Guard locations at no cost to the state.

Boos as Obama taps Yucca supporter: Wednesday, October 21, 2009; Senators urged to reject choice for nuclear commission; By Stephanie Tavares; Anti-nuclear groups are fighting the Obama administration’s nomination of a pro-Yucca Mountain nuclear industry insider to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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