Windmill Power Bill Generates Debate
Mar 31 - Las Vegas Review-Journal
Nevada Power Co. is supporting a bill that would encourage homeowners and rural residents to install wind turbines on sites of one acre or more.
Assemblyman Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, introduced the bill, which would allow
homeowners to sell power from their own windmill to Nevada Power of Las Vegas
and its affiliate, Sierra Pacific Power Co. of Reno.
During a hearing Wednesday before the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee,
however, lobbyist Pamela Scott said the development companies don't believe wind
turbines are suitable for urban and suburban areas.
Lobbyist Sabra Smith-Newby said the city of Las Vegas wanted the ability to
restrict wind turbines but said the bill contained provisions that convinced the
city to remain neutral on the bill.
The measure, Assembly Bill 236, would allow local governments to limit the
level of noise from turbines and the height of turbines, according to advocate
Jason Geddes.
Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said some of today's wind
turbines probably are not as noisy as air conditioners.
"A lot of these conservation moves are long overdue in my opinion,"
Giunchigliani said.
Jim Morris of Appropriate Energy said the bill should provide a financial
incentive similar to one that is offered to homeowners who install solar power
systems.
"Without an incentive program, probably nothing will happen (with wind
projects)," Morris said.
Unlike large commercial wind farms that need transmission-line access to
reach power customers, small farm and residential wind projects provide power to
the user at the site, he said.
Geddes, who lives in northwest Reno, told the committee he intended to
install a wind turbine that would generate enough power to pay for itself within
three years, but he said the time required to recover the cost varies from place
to place.
The measure would allow homeowners and farmers to use excess power generated
from a wind turbine to offset any power they purchase from an electric utility,
a provision known as net metering.
The governor's energy office, the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer
Protection and Sierra Club support the bill.
Judy Stokey, a lobbyist for Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power, said the
utilities also support the legislation. She noted that it would allow a property
owner to get net metering benefits for a facility capable of generating up to
150 kilowatts, up from the current limit of 30 kilowatts for solar projects. The
new maximum would also apply to solar power facilities that generate excess
electricity.
That is enough to power a strip shopping center or convenience store, Stokey
said.
The utilities persuaded advocates to limit the total of all net metering
plants to not more than 1 percent of the peak load of the utility, because
customers with solar and wind power plants will not pay for some costs borne by
other customers.
For customers served by Nevada Power, that would be about 50 megawatts, she
said.
No action was taken on the bill Wednesday.
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