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Las Vegas Review-Journal: NV Energy wants $1.8B to replace Nevada’s last coal plant

Posted by Sean Hemmersmeier on Jul 19, 2023

Las Vegas Review-Journal reports on NV Energy's plans to shut down Nevada's last coal plant by 2025, quoting Sarah Steinberg criticism of the utility's proposal to replace the plant's energy source with natural gas.

NV Energy is committing to shutting down its last coal plant by 2025, the utility announced Wednesday, and will spend nearly $2 billion to do it.

The news comes after questions were raised early this year on whether the state’s largest public utility was going to be able to shut down its coal operations on schedule.

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Topics: United In The News, Sarah Steinberg, Nevada

Utility Dive: Nevada revamps IRP process, opens path for NV Energy to own more renewables and storage

Posted by Robert Walton on Jun 21, 2023

Utility Dive reports on the passing of a bill that may undermine Nevada's transition to more affordable and accessible clean energies, quoting Sarah Steinberg on how the legislation could jeopardize the state’s regional clean energy leadership.

Clean energy advocates and conservation groups say AB 524 makes significant improvements to the state’s IRP process — and if NV Energy can build new resources at the lowest cost, then so be it.

“If that makes sense for Nevadans, sure. But it needs to go through the IRP process,” said Christi Cabrera-Georgeson, deputy director of the Nevada Conservation League.

NV Energy last year proposed a 400 MW gas peaker plant through an IRP amendment. It was approved in March, but opponents say the process did not allow for sufficient public input or review. 

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Topics: United In The News, Sarah Steinberg, Nevada

Clean energy industry urges Nevada to improve competition in energy resource planning

Posted by Adam Winer on Jun 20, 2023

Advanced Energy United and Interwest Energy Alliance call on Nevada to establish regular, predictable competitive solicitations for energy resources to catch up with other western peers and ensure least-cost, most reliable energy for ratepayers

CARSON CITY, NV, JUNE 21, 2023 – Late last week, Governor Joe Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 524, a bill making changes to the state’s integrated resource planning (“IRP”) process for electricity. The IRP is a chance for NV Energy, the state’s only investor-owned electric utility, to determine what generation and other resources it needs over the long-term to serve Nevadans with reliable and affordable electricity.

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Topics: Press Releases, Sarah Steinberg, Nevada

Nevada Gov. Lombardo signs unanimously passed Senate Bill 281, which creates a new planning process for natural gas utilities

Posted by Adam Winer on Jun 16, 2023

Advanced Energy United applauds Senator Rochelle Nguyen, the Nevada legislature, and Governor Lombardo for coming together to modernize the state’s gas utility regulations to prepare for a rapidly changing energy system.

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Topics: Press Releases, Sarah Steinberg, Nevada

Nevada Independent: As NV Energy Pitches New Gas Power Plant, Some Want Regulators to Give It More Scrutiny

Posted by Daniel Rothberg on Apr 11, 2023

The Nevada Independent outlines the decision of NV Energy to invest in a new natural gas peaking plant, quoting Sarah Steinberg on how this decision isn't cost effective for Nevadans and prevents further investment in advanced energy alternatives.

At times of peak energy use — often the hottest summer days when everyone is turning on the A/C at once — Western utilities, including NV Energy, have issued emergency alerts. They have urged customers to conserve energy and reduce demand. During these times, utilities have had to import energy from out of state, calling on a crowded regional market when prices can spike. 

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Topics: United In The News, Sarah Steinberg

Utility Dive: Amid High Energy Prices, SCE VP, Other Experts Push to Reduce California’s Reliance on Natural Gas

Posted by Kavya Balaraman on Apr 10, 2023

Utility Dive highlights the importance of moving away from natural gas reliance in California, quoting Sarah Steinberg and Brian Turner on the importance of demand-side management, batteries, hydro storage, and more.

As California reels from the impact of high natural gas prices this winter – as well as the ripple effects on the electricity sector – some experts are urging policy-makers to focus on reducing the state’s dependence on natural gas in the first place.

Gas prices in the West touched their highest annual point in the second half of December and began to subside in January, although still at a relatively high level. CAISO pointed to several reasons for that in its recent report: colder than usual temperatures in the West and Canada pushed up gas demand; there were lower gas storage inventories than usual – in part because of the higher gas usage during the heatwave California experienced last summer; as well as California’s lack of local gas supply and position at the end of the interstate pipeline system. 

Demand-side management is one of the best short-term policies that policymakers and consumers have at their fingertips to mitigate the impact of gas and electricity price swings, according to Brian Turner, policy director, Western states, with Advanced Energy United. This can include adjusting electricity use through consumer behavior, but also using advanced energy devices. 

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Topics: United In The News, Sarah Steinberg, Brian Turner

Nevada Current: First NV gas plant in 15 years gets expedited approval, customers likely to get the bill

Posted by Jennifer Solis on Mar 16, 2023

Nevada Current announces Nevada's plans to build a new power plant as a solution to building a more reliable energy source, including Sarah Steinberg's staunch disapproval as NVEnergy continues to cost ratepayers more dollars.

Nevada regulators have approved an NV Energy plan to build a natural gas-fired power plant they say will help address system reliability as weather grows more extreme and unpredictable across the region.

The energy monopoly will build a 400 MW gas-fired combustion turbine – or “peaker plant” – on the site of the Silverhawk Generating Station in southern Nevada to cover increasingly volatile seasonal peak demand. The gas plant would be the first built in Nevada in nearly 15 years.

Peak plants typically only run a few hundred hours of the year – or sometimes even less. Most of the year the plant sits idle and unused. The Silverhawk plant will be allowed to operate up to 700 hours annually.

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Topics: United In The News, Sarah Steinberg, Nevada

E&E News:  Western states ponder regional grid as renewables grow

Posted by Jason Plautz on Nov 22, 2022

E&E News explored what a unified electricity market could look like in the West, citing AEE's Western RTO Economic Impact Report findings and quoting Sarah Steinberg on the win a regional transmission organization offers states. Read snippets below and the full article here.

As temperatures on the West Coast soared into the triple digits in early September, power demand threatened to reach record levels — and utilities braced for grid problems...

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Topics: Wholesale Markets, United In The News, Sarah Steinberg, Western RTO

KUNR: A West-wide electricity market would be a boon for Nevada, study finds

Posted by Kaleb Roedel on Oct 11, 2022

NPR's Mountain West News Bureau featured AEE's Western RTO economic impact study, quoting Sarah Steinberg on how a regionally interconnected power grid can help tackle the region's reliability issues. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Linking the West’s electric utilities to form one organized market would create thousands of jobs and lower energy costs in Nevada, a new economic analysis suggests.

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Topics: 21st Century Electricity System, Wholesale Markets, United In The News, Sarah Steinberg

Study shows regional electric grid would energize Nevada’s economy

Posted by Cayli Baker on Sep 28, 2022

Joining a Western RTO could create up to 21,000 jobs and save Nevadans millions in energy cost.

CARSON CITY, September 28, 2022 — A new analysis shows Nevada would see significant economic benefits from joining a regional electric grid with neighboring states. The study, conducted by independent consulting firm Energy Strategies on behalf of business association Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), found that joining a regional transmission organization (RTO) could generate upwards of $2 billion in new Gross State Product (GSP) for Nevada and upwards of 20,000 permanent, living-wage jobs across diverse sectors of the economy.

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Topics: 21st Century Electricity System, Press Releases, Sarah Steinberg