Reid touts Nevada’s advances as renewable energy leader

By Andrea Domanick

Friday, April 10, 2015 | 4:50 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid on Friday praised Nevada’s role as a leader in renewable energy business development and called for bipartisan support toward continuing that progress in the future.

Speaking at a clean energy luncheon at the MGM Grand organized by the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Reid said he was proud of Nevada’s role in both developing renewable energy resources and attracting new businesses to the state.

"Las Vegas is becoming known as the best place in America for innovative businesses and renewable energy development,” Reid said, listing Tesla, Switch, Google, Apple and solar “hall of famers” SolarCity and SolarReserve among the companies that have chosen to do business in Nevada. “These companies are creating real jobs and putting Nevada on the map as a technology and renewable energy leader.”

More than 200 political, economic and community leaders attended the event, which also included a panel discussion with outgoing LVGEA CEO Tom Skancke and local clean energy power players.

Reid championed Southern Nevada as a hub for solar energy development, touting the technology’s cost efficiency and calling it the “future of clean energy jobs” in the state.

"Every family should have the opportunity to install solar if they want to," Reid said.

The solar industry currently employs about 6,000 workers in Nevada, putting the state first for per capita solar job growth in the country. He also acknowledged the north’s own clean energy boon with the arrival of Tesla’s $5 billion battery factory.

About $6 billion has been invested in renewable energy projects in Nevada. Reid said that’s led to the creation of about 20,000 jobs in the state, compared with about 14,000 in mining.

The senator added that the clean energy development opportunities stemming from that investment are what keep the state competitive when it comes to attracting new businesses.

“That’s one thing that Elon Musk was looking for, and I think that probably tipped the scales over Texas,” Reid said, referring to the Tesla CEO’s decision to choose Nevada over a competing state.

Still, Reid was quick to note that the state’s progress “didn’t happen by accident,” and that it will take more hard work to keep the momentum going.

Reid implored Republicans in the audience to push for partisan support in Congress to renew the tax incentives for clean energy projects that have helped bolster Nevada’s economic development, adding that their importance goes beyond the economy.

“Tax incentives will level the playing field for clean energy,” Reid said. “It’s extremely important for not only what we’re doing here in Nevada but the country and actually the world. It’s not only the jobs it helps create, it’s what it does to help have clean air for my grandchildren to breathe. I hope that we can all keep our eye on the prize. These critically important incentives are about to expire.”

Reid closed his speech commending Gov. Brian Sandoval for his efforts in attracting renewable energy projects like Tesla and expressed support for the governor’s work in the Nevada Legislature to expand the state’s net metering program for rooftop solar installations. He also praised NV Energy’s new parent company Berkshire Hathaway Energy for its work developing more renewable energy in Nevada and wind power in Iowa.

“We need to continue to do what we can do best, and that’s renewable energy,” Reid said. “No state in the union has the opportunity that we have. Clean energy is Nevada’s future.” ​

Also speaking at the luncheon were Cindy Ortega, chief sustainability officer for MGM Resorts International, Stacey Kusters, VP of renewables and origination for NV Energy, and James Hughes, CEO of First Solar.

The three joined Skancke in a panel following Reid’s address discussing the state and future of Nevada’s clean energy economy.

The speakers described the sector’s evolving workforce as a combination of those with longstanding expertise and innovators to help lead the newer, more technology-driven elements of the field.

Ortega said the clean energy economy offers potential beyond a clean source of power. It also offers opportunities into education and workforce development, a key goal of state leaders looking to boost STEM jobs in Nevada.

“I think we’re going to see a significant number of young people going right to work from clean energy and energy efficiency (in college),” she said.

Hughes added that expanding to utility scale solar would help further bolster the local economy by creating an expansive variety of jobs ranging from project managers and consultants to legal and accounting services.

“These are hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars, in assets that are being created,” he said. “That’s a lot of economic activity. And what follows that economic activity are a lot of people out there seeking employment.”

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