Strong leaders must chart our state’s future in clean energy

By Rose McKinney-James

Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Brian Greenspun is taking some time off and is turning over his Where I Stand column to others. Today’s guest columnist is Rose McKinney-James, a longtime clean-energy advocate and former member of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

For decades I’ve been an unabashed champion of renewable energy — long before harnessing the Nevada sun became the popular cause it is today. Nevada should benefit from its remarkable solar resources by supporting policies that allow us to fully tap the economic and environmental benefits of clean, renewable energy.

Indeed, we seem headed in that direction. We are discussing the future role of solar power in Nevada in regulatory hearings, legislative and gubernatorial task force meetings and court proceedings. Clouding the issue: conflicting data in measuring the value of solar-generated electricity, especially on residential rooftops. All of this harks back to another summer in sweltering-hot Washington, D.C.

The United Nations declared 1975 International Women’s Year. Coincidentally, that’s when I began a summer internship as a second-year law student, and I met a person who would shape and dramatically change my life: Shirley Chisholm, the first black female member of Congress. Thankfully, she saw something in an eager and energetic — albeit exceptionally naïve — law student and opened a door to intellectual and social curiosity and the importance of effective advocacy.

In private, she was soft-spoken and reserved. But when faced with the opportunity to advance an issue or a policy she cared about, she spoke up with passion and fury. She fought for what she believed in, always in an eloquent and thoughtful manner. She was remarkable and resilient, a giant of a woman. She was also steeped in the art of communication, conversation and compromise.

When I joined her office, I joined a team of experienced professional women. They, too, were confident, resilient and strategic. Her office was rare on Capitol Hill for being led almost entirely by women. They tackled complicated issues affecting the health and welfare of a nation and got things done. That experience put me on a path of constant exploration with a goal of seeking resolution to complex issues through the use of clear, effective communication.

And here is the complex issue we are dealing with these days: What are the best policies and practices to support solar and other renewable sources of energy? Does the emerging solar industry still require incentives or other government-sponsored support? Do large-scale solar arrays make more sense than rooftop systems? Are current policies weighed in favor of one group of energy customers at the expense of another? How can we attract even newer technologies to Nevada?

What is clear is that we haven’t yet truly tapped into the rich opportunity in front of us. It is the responsibility of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada and informed parties to weigh the evidence and balance the interests of all ratepayers. The question of fair rates should be corrected through the regulatory process, with the understanding that the underlying facts can change. Fossil fuels, for instance, have benefited from huge subsidies for years, far longer than renewable-energy resources. The argument in favor of those subsidies has been that the investment served the public good. This is not a new issue. In 2014 taxpayers forked over $18.5 billion in fossil fuel subsidies.

The fundamental question is whether and how we can now allow for broader consumption of renewable resources without undermining the current utility model. In a recent Bloomberg article on renewables and Nevada, Liam Denning wrote, “Indeed, it isn’t renewables per se that represent a threat to utilities, which are largely agnostic about what generates the power? What matters to utilities is who generates, sells and delivers that power to the customer.”

If a utility becomes more flexible, there is opportunity to use more renewable energy, to which Denning noted, “(T)hat doesn’t exactly sound like some tree-hugger mantra. Rather, it’s a strategic decision encompassing regular corporate prerogatives like planning, procurement, and efficiency — which also happens to cut directly across the traditional utility business model.”

And that gets to the heart of the matter, fueling the controversy over how to better incorporate our solar resources in our energy policy: At what point do we reset the way we conduct business? What have we learned over this long, hot summer? Are we ignoring the need to make strategic business decisions? I believe we may be dangerously close to looking in the rearview mirror at missed opportunities to diversify the economy, create jobs and allow Nevada to lead instead of follow. Drawing lines in the sand it not the answer. Embracing the future and working collaboratively toward a goal of establishing a vibrant clean-energy economy is the answer.

As always, it comes down to leadership. It will be critical for policymakers to separate the spin from fact and quantify what it will take to get the desired outcome. The summer is almost done, but the chance for Nevada to recapture its leadership in the clean-energy space remains achievable. It’s within reach. It will take tenacity, resilience and clear, honest communication — a skill that has always distinguished our best public servants.