NV Energy rate requests set for hearings

By Stephanie Tavares

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

NV Energy is seeking rate changes that could raise electric bills 18 percent for residential customers.

The utility has submitted three rate change requests — two increases and one decrease — to the Public Utilities Commission in recent months.

They include:

• A nearly 15 percent increase in the annual revenue requirement for the Bighorn Power Plant, the construction of the Clark Peakers and environmental retrofits on the Clark Generating Station.

The utility is seeking more than $320 million.

This would mean total increase of 16.71 percent for residential customers and 11.3 percent for commercial customers, according to PUC spokesman Sean Sever.

The PUC is holding a public hearing on the request from 1 to 6 p.m. April 6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

• A 4.1 percent increase for residential customers and a 2.29 percent increase for nonresidential customers from proposed changes to the Deferred Energy Accounting Adjustment rate, the Temporary Renewable Energy Development rate and the Air Conditioning Load Management program.

If approved, the $77.5 million generated would pay for deferred purchased fuel and power costs, including the costs of incentives paid to customers participating in the Air Conditioning Load Management program.

A hearing on the matter has been set for 10 a.m. April 10 and will be teleconferenced to the Las Vegas PUC office at 101 Convention Center Drive.

• A $19.8 million credit or a 2.69 percent decrease to all customers in deferred purchased fuel and purchased power costs, reset the Temporary Renewable Energy Development and the Renewable Energy Program rates.

A hearing has been set at 10:30 a.m. April 10 and will be teleconferenced to the Las Vegas PUC office.

The utility is also seeking to reallocate unused capacity for the Solar Energy Systems Demonstration Program from previous years to the current year.

NV Energy would like to start by reallocated 6.3 megawatts of solar photovoltaic system capacity from 2005 for use this year.

This would allow the utility to increase participation and shrink the waiting list.

For more information, log on to www.pucweb1.state.nv.us.

• • •

Gov. Jim Gibbons appointed two new judges to fill Family Court vacancies.

The selection of Charles Hoskin and William Gonzalez was announced March 6.

Fifteen attorneys had applied for the two vacancies. Hoskin and Gonzalez were chosen from five finalists selected by the Judicial Selection Commission after two days of interviews in February.

“I believe both Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Hoskin will bring honor and diversity to the Family Court in Las Vegas,” Gibbons said in a news release. “Both of these individuals bring with them their own special personal and professional experiences that will enhance the fairness and effectiveness of the court.”

Hoskins, a private practice attorney in Las Vegas, will take the Department E seat that became vacant when Family Court Judge Sandra Pomrenze was elected to the newly created Department P seat at Family Court in November.

Gonzalez, a Clark County deputy public defender, will fill the Department F seat, which became vacant when Family Court Judge Stefany Miley left after being elected to a civil/criminal judgeship in Department 23. Miley replaced District Judge Elizabeth Halverson, who was fired last fall for incompetence and mistreatment of staff.

The new judges will have to run in the 2010 election to retain their seats. The terms of both seats expire in January 2011.

• • •

And finally, a great big, bright yellow shout-out to Susan Johnston for passing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam last month.

On the first try, too! (Full disclosure: Johnston is a great friend of mine.)

Johnston is a principal land planner for Stanley Consultants, where she works on residential, commercial and industrial site master plans.

In addition to being a LEED accredited professional, Johnston is also a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners and a brutal bowler.

Stephanie Tavares covers utilities and law for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4059 or at [email protected].