Renewable energy bill heard in Assembly Commerce & Labor
Yesterday I presented my first bill in a committee. AB 178 will raise the “net metering” cap to provide incentive for larger-scale renewable energy projects, and create a wind power incentive program. Net metering is the ability to receive credits on a power bill from excess energy contributed to the grid from a renewable energy project, while the wind proposal is based on the successful “Solar Generations” program of rebates for project installations.
A host of supporters came forward in support of the legislation, including the Nevada Conservation League, the Sierra Club, a member of the state’s Renewable Energy Task Force, and a representative of a southern Nevada commercial development company who views the legislation as critical to their efforts to incorporate solar energy into their upcoming projects.
Representatives from the Public Utilities Commission and Sierra Pacific also expressed conceptual support but have some concerns about the bill’s specifics. All parties expressed a willingness to work hard in the coming weeks to refine the legislation.
Having run on a platform of protecting what we love about Nevada and preparing our state for the jobs of the future, it is critical that we further our progress on the development of renewable energy. Nevada is already a leader on this front, but we must not let up- nothing less than our state’s position in the global economy is at stake.
For more on yesterday’s hearing check out the Nevada Appeal.
March 8th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Few Nevadans, even those who are involved in enery conservation and renewable energy sources, truely understand how revolutionary AB 178 is. Should this legislation pass and get signed by the Governor, it would truely change the business landscape in Nevada. If I understand it correctly?
Let’s look at an example, my house! In November, I got a bill from SPPCo that indicated I used 1,577 KWH. I will admit, I am one of the worst offenders on energy consumption, TVs, computers, lights, heat at 72 all the time..70 in the summer. Really bad. Currently, if I spend all the money needed to do a windmill, solar, anything that creates energy, I can only get credit for pumping 150KWH back into the electric grid. SO 1,577 KWH - 150 KWH means I am still paying for 1,427 KWH even though I am still creating energy that is going back into the power grid. I have to reeeaaly love mother earth before I could take a loss like that.
Should AB 178 pass and signed that number would rise to 5,000 KWH. Now my windmill, solar, or yet to be developed technology is paying for my power bill, and that of my overly consuming neighbors on each side. Let’s live in a dream world for a minute and imagine that every Nevadan, every company did something that created enough energy for their own uses and exported some addition KWH back into the grid. Nevada would become a energy exporter.
Can this be true? Like I wrote in the beginning, few Nevadans realize how AB 178 could change the business environment in ways that are hard to imagine.
Put the power of creating energy in hands of voters and we will have more than enough for Nevada, and to export.
WoW!
March 9th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Thanks for the encouragement! Just to clarify, the current cap you’re referring to is of 150kw, not kwh. It’s a measurement of the *size* of the project eligible for net metering rather than a kwh measure of energy produced. Raising the cap will allow larger-scale projects (hospitals, schools, shopping centers, etc.) to reduce their power bills by contributing energy to the grid.
My hope is that following a raise of the cap, larger-scale solar/wind/other renewable projects will have the incentives required to pencil out the costs/benefits in order for people to invest in their installation. The results? More renewable-generated power on the grid, and a drop in the cost of such systems to the home consumer due to their continued technological development.
March 9th, 2007 at 11:29 am
OK..my math is obviously wrong??
Here is a question for all the experts.
Let’s say I have a really big checkbook!
I have a new technology that will generate all the power I need plus an additional 5,000 KW.
I currently use 1,500 KWH per month.
What would this do to my power bill?
What amount of energy would I will be creating for other users to buy?
Now please multiply this number by 100,000 to start!
Thanks and I will be watching for all the different answers to come!
March 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Good Bill - get her done!
While we are talking about Money and Energy….I would like to give you my view on the Yucca Mountian project. My view is supported by many of my friends, Nevada Citizens and business associates.
The United States needs a place to store it’s Radioactive Waste. Nuclear energy is a very clean and safe energy source, supported by many years of Nuclear Power Plants operating safely.
The problem is, no new plants are being built because there is no place to store the Radioactive waste.
I propose that we start a super fund just like Alaska with the Oil Pipe Line. Nevada can charge the Federal Government pretty much what ever we want to develope Yucca Safely and Store the waste, plus we can charge every state rent that sends it’s waste to Nevada. Sure would be nice to get Huge Rent payments every year for a minimum of 10,000 years!!
We are talking mega amounts of money -
Nevada could pay for every School Bill, hire great teachers, provide Medical benifits for every Nevada citizen, fund freeways, improve info-structure, Preserve Parks and land, plant Trees, you name it Yucca would pay for it, balance the budget and still have money left over.
Think about it, structure it to benifit Nevada, offer each vested Nevada Citizen Money and/or benifits and even the Tree huggers will vote for it.
You know the Feds are going to get it done eventually, we might as well set the ground rules now and reap the benefits.
March 9th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
David,
I would be interested in hearing what SPPC suggests about the bill relative to their concerns about variability in supply.
As I am aware a power plant’s output doesn’t have much variability. It’s pretty much on or off or at least hard to ramp up/down. As such it is difficult for a power company to manage a steady supply to a dynamic demand, then if you add in a dynamic supply it causes problems (I assume) the same way variable costs of natural gas (and that other stuff they burn)(as you mentioned when we spoke the other day).
My suggestion is (crazy as it may be) turn off the heat and lights at night! If we are going to have a variable source of power we should be able to live with variable consumption since there is no practical way to store power in quantities large enough for these purposes (yet). At the same time no one is going to support alt power if they can’t watch American idol, or in my case House, after dark.
-M
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:39 pm
[…] After long negotiations with Sierra Pacific Resources, an amended version of my bill to expand the practice of net metering and create a wind power demonstration program was passed by the Assembly Commerce and Labor committee this afternoon. For more on AB 178, please check out my previous post on how it will expand renewable energy opportunities in Nevada. […]
July 2nd, 2007 at 5:11 pm
[…] For more on the bill, please check out my previous posts on how it will expand renewable energy opportunities in Nevada. […]
October 14th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
[…] Assemblyman Bobzien will be interested to know that Cobb is very proud of his efforts to get AB 178, an energy bill sponsored by Bobzien. Its also nice to know that Cobb is happy the meth bill passed after he voted against it on the Assembly floor. […]