Drop fossil fuels for better sources

Veronica Fink, Las Vegas

Friday, June 7, 2013 | 2 a.m.

There is some trepidation regarding the effects of Senate Bill 123 and the proposed purchase of NV Energy on our electric bills.

The question that everyone is afraid to ask is not whether this is going to increase our electricity bills, but by how much. Isn’t it time we invest in what is going to cost us less in the long run? Solar, wind and geothermal energy sources are all renewable, ultimately less expensive, job-creating options.

Costs for gas and coal will continue to rise, but photovoltaic solar panels have dropped more than 80 percent over the past five years. And the increased cost associated with the use of fossil fuels is just the monetary price we see every month. The toll of extracting, refining, producing and using fossil fuels extends beyond the price we pay when we open our utility bills every month. Eventually, the cost to our environment will equate to lost resources, monetary losses involved in trying to restore damaged resources and potential health effects. While it is good that there is less new natural gas required in SB123 than when the bill was introduced, we need to continue to move toward more progressive, better alternatives and invest in our future.

While this may be bare-bones analysis regarding a proposed solution to a complex and important issue, why are we making this more complicated than it has to be? By investing in self-sustaining, environmentally friendly, and job-creating renewable energy sources, we invest in what will support Nevadans and our environment. This will save us money in the future by capitalizing on Nevada’s abundant natural resources without the damaging and ultimately expensive effects of fossil fuels use.