Phoebe Sweet

Reporter/ Utilities and Environment

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Recent Stories (view all stories)

Planned coal plant gives up its water source: Some see step as sign Mesquite-area coal burner won’t be built; Tuesday, May 6, 2008; Sithe Global Power has to have water for its 750-megawatt Toquop plant but has let the contract with its water supplier lapse. Opponents of the plant are hoping that’s the first sign the developer’s commitment to the plant is waning.
A coal-fired discussion: Four experts debate how best to meet Nevada’s energy needs; Sunday, May 4, 2008; Proposals to build coal-fired power plants have brought the debate over global climate change home to Nevadans. Coal provides half the nation’s electricity, and a fifth of Nevada’s power, but many people think it’s time to break our reliance on the shiny black rock and start using the sun, wind and heat of the Earth for a new generation of power plants.
Nellis households take to commingled recycling: Hauler president says ease, convenience key to test run’s success; Friday, April 25, 2008; Republic Services says the amount of waste from homes on Nellis Air Force Base that’s recycled rather than sent to the landfill has increased 21 percentage points since the trash hauling company revamped the pickup schedule there.
Buckwheat or big bucks: Unassuming desert shrub stands in the way of potential development in Las Vegas Valley; Tuesday, April 22, 2008; While homebuilders and city officials think land should be available for development, conservationists are asking whether it might be time to stop expanding and start protecting natural resources such as the buckwheat.
This fish story is true: Scientists will lab-raise minnows to test effects of treated wastewater; Monday, April 21, 2008; The fish in Las Vegas Bay look healthy on the outside, but it’s what’s inside that matters. For more than a decade scientists have found that some fish in the bay and in the Las Vegas Wash, where treated wastewater is released back into Lake Mead, have mutated reproductive systems and different hormone levels than fish in other parts of the lake.
Scientist wants Gibbons to nix support of coal: Climate researcher receiving prestigious award from institute; Wednesday, April 16, 2008; The Desert Research Institute will give the Nevada Medal — a national award for scientific achievement — to renowned climate scientist James Hansen, who will present new research on global climate change. Hansen, no stranger to controversy, sent a letter to Gov. Jim Gibbons this week calling on Gibbons to take meaningful action against climate change.
Water: The more you use, the more you’ll have to pay: Tuesday, April 8, 2008; The county’s largest water district is adopting “conservation pricing.” The concept is simple: If you want people to use less water, make it more expensive, especially for those who use the most.
What was waste will make power: At new plant, air heated to nearly 1,000 degrees by existing facility will be used to run turbine; Saturday, April 5, 2008; Air pouring out of smokestacks at a natural gas compressor station near Goodsprings is so hot its waves cast shifting shadows on the desert 60 feet below.
An energy promise kept: Utility to invest directly in geothermal plant, bucking the ‘you build it, we’ll use it’ trend; Thursday, March 27, 2008; The state’s largest utility is set to back its commitment to renewable energy with more spending, this time on geothermal power. Nevada Power Co. will invest in a 30-megawatt plant near Fallon that will use steam heated by the earth to turn an electricity-producing turbine, the company announced Wednesday.
Solar pioneer proudly a ‘green’ poster boy: Environmental group points to electrician, others as examples of clean energy’s promise; Wednesday, March 26, 2008; When Chris Brooks started his business in 2001, no other company in Las Vegas specialized in installing solar panels.