Energy Efficiency In Las Vegas’s Financial Sector: Strategies For Profitability – After a spat between Nevada’s consumer advocacy group and its largest electric utility, state regulators ruled that utility trust contracts should be more transparent and a consumer advocate breached confidentiality.

The Public Utilities Commission issued an order Tuesday that puts to rest a dispute between the Consumer Protection Bureau and NV Energy over the utility’s attempt to withhold certain financial information related to sponsorship deals. public

Energy Efficiency In Las Vegas’s Financial Sector: Strategies For Profitability

The disagreement between NV Energy and the BCP began when David Chairez, the bureau’s management manager, submitted evidence saying that NV Energy wanted to recover just under $200,000 from customers in charges sponsorship over contracts with Las Vegas Ballpark, the Henderson. Silver Knights, Allegiant Stadium and the Clark County Fair and Rodeo and that the sponsorship deals also included utility benefits such as VIP tickets and special merchandise. NV Energy argued that this information was confidential and should not be included in public testimony.

Passive House Standards Gain Ground In Multifamily

NV Energy said these sponsorship costs were related to its PowerShift programs, which are a set of programs designed to reduce customers’ energy costs, and that these costs should remain confidential since confidentiality agreements were in place. at the original sponsorship agreements with the facility and the various agencies. that this public information could harm the utility in making similar contracts in the future.

“Public release of this information not only harms (NV Energy) but also the customers of the company that entered into these contracts on confidentiality provisions,” said Marie Steele, vice president of integrated energy services for NV Energy. , as file evidence.

NV Energy withdrew requests to recover $50,000 in sponsorship costs to Allegiant Stadium and $10,000 in costs to the Clark County Fair Rodeo because the information provided on energy conservation as a result of the sponsorship was “limited in nature,” according to Steele’s testimony.

The company stands by the $62,500 in sponsorship costs with the Henderson Silver Knights and $75,000 in sponsorship costs with the Las Vegas Ballpark as the sponsorship was part of an overall marketing strategy for the PowerShift programs and the crowd at the events, like these. 90 percent funding was local to Southern Nevada, according to Steele’s testimony.

Medium Size Commercial Retrofits

The BCP said this material should not be kept confidential because it involves costs the utility is trying to recover from taxpayers and the terms of the sponsorship agreements did not provide – include any trade secrets.

The PUC mostly agreed with the BCP in an order, which was unanimously approved at the September 12 PUC meeting, that sponsorship costs surrounding the PowerShift programs should be made public because NV Energy trying to recover some of these costs from customers.

“These sponsorship agreements include, among other things, the terms under which ratepayer funds will be used to promote energy efficiency and conservation programs approved by the Commission,” the order said. PUC. “The Commission finds nothing in these sponsorship agreements that could be characterized as a trade secret or confidential commercial information under Nevada law.”

The PUC ordered NV Energy to redact certain information to make it public about its sponsorship deals with the commission. NV Energy issued a statement saying it would review the next steps it needs to take as a result of this PUC order.

Nv Energy Told Be To More Transparent On Sponsorship Costs

“We appreciate the seriousness with which the Public Utilities Commission handled this matter,” said Meghin Delaney, media relations manager for NV Energy.

Although the PUC largely sided with the BCP regarding what information should be disclosed on sponsorship contracts, they also found that the BCP breached an agreement with NV Energy regarding what information was confidential and how which should challenge confidential information. Because of the breach of confidentiality the PUC ordered that employees of the BCP who are involved in public resources must take a class on confidentiality and ethics.

1 Nevada leads nation in lockdowns, report says 2 SoCal coffee shop chain expands to Las Vegas 3 Analyst: MGM loses $4.2M-$8.4M daily due to cyberattack 4 $1.5M slot jackpot hits at downtown Las Vegas casino 5 ‘A vicious act’: Police announce second teen arrested in gruesome hit-and-run killing

Reconsideration requests were filed by the Consumer Protection Bureau and several major gaming corporations as the state-level PUC approved a natural disaster ban that will make Southern Nevadans pay. ​for Northern Nevada expenses.

Home Energy Efficiency Costs

Average Las Vegas Valley gas prices have increased by nearly 25 cents per gallon in the past week. There are two reasons causing the spike, says a petroleum analyst.

An ancient volcanic bed on the Nevada-Oregon border could hold the world’s largest lithium deposit, according to a recent study.

A facility adjacent to The Orleans is expanding, and the company said its products will be used on solar energy projects across the country.

Nevadans should expect to see lower gas rates in their bills heading into the final months of 2023 as Southwest Gas plans to lower its rates in October.

Elevators Are Going Green

At public meetings held by the Public Utilities Commission, residents voiced displeasure about utility operations in the state and the costs of their utility bills.

The Public Utilities Commission is allowing NV Energy to continue its controversial approach to recoup some disaster mitigation costs.

NV Energy submitted the fifth amendment to its Integrated Resource Plan that seeks approval to spend more than $1.8 billion on infrastructure projects.

In a filing with the Nevada Public Utilities Commission, NV Energy has put forward Sphere’s plan for 70 percent of its power to be met by a new solar energy plant.

Loan For Solar System

NV Energy files management plan to power the Sphere with solar energy Clark County residents express displeasure over utility bills Regulators urged to reconsider state-level disaster plan natural NV Energy Southern Nevada NV Energy customers to foot bill in recovery plan Details emerge on NV Energy’s $1.8B plan to end coal, add solar ‘shock sticker’ to: NV Energy customers deal with bills from JulyNV Energy’s multimillion-dollar transmission line that connects wide areas of the state has turned into a regulatory battle between the state electric utility and a watchdog agency over capacity and the timing of future rate increases for customers already stuck with rising power bills.

NV Energy received approval in March from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for three incentives, or benefits for financial assistance, that would allow it to recover costs on its planned Greenlink transmission line, despite objections from a group consumer rights and bulk buyers. , including MGM Resorts International.

The company, which is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, defended the decision as enabling it to spread costs throughout the construction process and first introduce any rate increases to the their large, unrestricted customers – a class that includes some state accounts. the biggest casino companies, which left NV Energy to buy power on the open market last decade but still contract with the utility for transmission services.

But consumer rights advocates and some experts say the costs could ultimately fall on the utility’s ratepayers — including residential customers who are are looking at higher electricity bills this summer.

Sports & Sustainability: Behind Allegiant Stadium’s Energy Efficient Building Systems

Now, the Nevada Bureau of Consumer Protection is asking federal energy regulators for a new hearing, saying the commission’s rationale for incentives misinterpreted state law and didn’t take enough care of utility customers. . FERC must respond by May 22.

NV Energy, along with many electric utilities, is considered a regulated monopoly. Under state law, they must provide electric service to an area and in exchange, they are allowed to charge customers for the electric infrastructure through rates. State regulators are responsible for ensuring that the rates set by the utility are fair to customers and allow the company to make a profit.

FERC’s green light, known as an “incentive-level permit,” allows NV Energy to recoup the costs associated with the transmission line project even if it does not materialize for reasons beyond the agency’s control. facility The incentive would also delay pre-commercial charges and allow the utility to begin charging uncapped ratepayers, typically large customers such as casinos that choose to buy power on the open market. for Greenlink construction costs before the line is operational.

Carolyn Barbash, vice president of transmission development and policy at NV Energy, said the pre-construction incentive, in particular, would allow the utility to recoup costs through smaller rate increases, rather than requiring an amount get a big refund at the end of the year. build through a potentially larger rate shock.

The Battle Over Technology And Energy Consumption

“It helps from a financial standpoint and from a credit rating standpoint,” Barbash said in an interview. “And anything that helps us lower our credit rating helps us borrow money more cheaply, and every project will be more accessible to customers.”

Ari Peskoe, director of the Electric Law Initiative at Harvard Law School, said the incentives are not beneficial to utility customers. FERC’s approval of these incentives is a fairly standard procedure, but he said it represents an abandonment of its mission.

“These incentives will raise costs for consumers,” Peskoe said. “The purpose of utility regulation is to incentivize the utility to do something beneficial

Energy efficiency strategies, energy efficiency sector, energy efficiency in buildings, energy efficiency in manufacturing, energy efficiency for business, investment in energy efficiency, energy efficiency in transport sector, energy efficiency for buildings, profitability in banking sector, energy efficiency in homes, incentives for energy efficiency, rebates for energy efficiency