Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Where I Stand:

Trust the data: Solar energy benefits everyone

Last week, the concept of bringing factual information to a policy discussion in Nevada was front and center at UNLV’s Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. What we learned, yet again, is that facts, data and responsible analysis do have a place in any discussion of public policy.

The policy was what to do about solar power in one of the sunniest states in the union.

A participant in the conference was Rose McKinney-James, one of our state’s leading renewable-energy advocates and experts. I asked her to give Sun readers her thoughts about the conference — the facts, if you will.

As usual, her views are compelling.

— Brian Greenspun

After many years of working within the advocacy and business community to support the advancement of clean energy in Nevada, I was truly pleased to see the release of two important reports last week that reinforced our effort. The Brookings Institution, with a national scope, and a joint Natural Resources Defense Council/SolarCity collaboration, with a look specifically to Nevada, released separate reports both quantifying the benefits of solar energy to everyone — including those who haven’t installed rooftop solar panels — and bringing clarity to the role of net metering (selling the energy produced by rooftop solar systems back to the electrical grid) as an important consumer tool.

We are blessed with an extraordinary abundance of natural resources, especially solar energy. Yet, a decision by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in December has virtually eliminated the residential rooftop solar industry in our state. With one move, the monthly cost to homeowners with solar to remain connected to the electrical grid tripled, to almost $40, while the amount that the utility pays those homeowners for energy they put back onto the grid during hot, sunny days was cut by more than 75 percent. Fortunately, just about everyone agrees that those changes need to be rolled back for existing rooftop solar customers.

Both reports use well-established economic principles to conclude that net metering is not harmful to nonsolar customers. They conclude that solar on the rooftops of their neighbors provides a net benefit to the entire system versus creating a financial burden on nonsolar customers, as the PUC claimed. Each study provides a substantive basis for the PUC and the Nevada Legislature to revisit what has been a contentious and regrettable recent course of action. The opportunity to advance and strengthen our economic diversity and spur job creation is real when the addition of clean energy technologies is considered.

Nevada was once considered a leader in this effort, and we must not waste this opportunity to return to that leadership position. Nevada’s renewable resources can supply clean energy to Nevadans and create economic development opportunities for exported power. A crucial window is now open to resolve issues on distributed — that is, decentralized — solar-energy policy, as well as move thoughtfully to consider a potential new suite of policies that align with our public policy goals.

Revisiting the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and creating smart procurement paths to large-scale renewables (solar, geothermal) should be on our agenda for next steps.

Progress on developing a regional grid creates options for Nevada to play an important role in a robust regional market. Legislative and policymaker action has the capacity to move state and regional markets and send signals to clean-energy businesses that Nevada is truly open for new and expanded businesses.

Opportunity can be fleeting. It is well past time for Nevada to embrace its long-held position of maximizing indigenous resources. I see a future where we put consumers in charge of their own energy choices, as is occurring in other states and in other countries. It is time to use the data and analytics available to inform policy decisions. It is time to seriously consider a suite of bold, new and robust policies that balance the interests of all consumers.

Rooftop solar is giving consumers a cost-effective way to invest in Nevada’s renewable energy future and create power from their very own homes — power that makes our electric system more reliable, and that can be shared efficiently with their neighbors. And rooftop solar is providing homegrown energy, local jobs and cleaner air for our children to breathe.

Unfortunately, there is a significant amount of misleading information in the public conversation about the cost of solar and net metering and the benefits of rooftop solar. Indeed, there is a clear resistance to the change that is required for us to progress beyond our current structure. I believe these new reports provide a platform for a thoughtful and productive path to setting the record straight. Nevadans are ready to harness more of the state’s plentiful sunshine. It is time for Nevada decision makers to give them the opportunity to invest in our renewable energy future.

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