MUTH'S TRUTHS 04/05/2013

CORRECTION

In my column this morning, I relied on information from a Las Vegas Review-Journal story yesterday for this snippet: “…(NV Energy customers are) likely to see electric rates jump an estimated 3.84 percent per year for the next 20 years to offset the cost of natural gas facility construction and the expanded use of ‘green’ energy.”

The exact RJ quote was:

“The (Public Utilities) commission also will consider rate increases - 3.84 percent a year for 20 years, on average - NV Energy expects to need to help pay for the conversion, which could generate as many as 4,700 construction jobs and 200 operation and maintenance jobs.”

Turns out that is not correct, as our friend Tom Mitchell notes in his 4THST8 blog:

“Testifying Wednesday afternoon before a state Senate committee in Carson City, public relations flack Pete Ernaut, representing NV Energy, said the plan had a ‘total rate impact of less than 4 percent over the next 20 years.’”

In other words, it’s not a rate increase of 3.84 percent PER YEAR, but an estimated rate increase of 3.84 percent over the entire 20 year period.  A big difference. 

Indeed, under current circumstances NV Energy estimates an increase in electric bills of 1.49 percent per year. But under the new NVision plan announced this week, the estimate is now 1.65 percent…an increase, but still well below the anticipated level of inflation, estimated by the government to be 2 percent per year.

For those of us who are math-challenged, that means if your electric bill this year is $100, 20 years from now it will be around $136.

I regret the error…almost as much as I regret liberal Assemblyman William Hornebeing Majority Leader.

On another aspect of this green energy issue, our friend and longtime subscriberMaureen Karas writes:

“With the current sustainable energy portfolio requirements of 25% by 2020, our bills are already set to sky rocket.  AB 252 wants to increase that portfolio requirement to 35%.  I will be moving to another state should this happen - enough is enough.”

I think a lot of folks share that sentiment.

And then there’s this from subscriber Joyce Hazard:

“Not only are these ‘renewables’ not cost effective, they are environmentally bad.  Take for instance the hazardous waste produced by solar manufactures.  An article of 2/10/13, by the Associated Press titles, ‘Solar industry grapples with hazardous wastes,’ panel makers are grappling with a hazardous waste problem - the industry is creating  MILLIONS of pounds of polluted sludge and contaminated water.  

“To dispose of the material, the companies must transport it by truck or rail far from their own plants to waste facilities.  The state of California's 44 manufacturing facilities produced 46.5 MILLION pounds of sludge and contaminated water from 2007 through 2011.  More than 1.4 million pounds were transported to nine other states - one of those is NEVADA!  Where is it being stored here?  This is unacceptable for the environment and the future of our State.”

The more I learn about “green” energy, the less “green with envy” I become.  Bring on the nukes!