Las Vegas Green Energy
In August of 2018, Governor Gary Johnson suspended all state travel due to the lack of preparation and budgeting for a national emergency. Since then, he has focused his efforts into helping promote green energy in Nevada through various initiatives.
Governor Johnson created the Nevada Clean Power Fund to help incentivize businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices that reduce pollution and conserve natural resources. The fund offers business funding to help them implement eco-friendly technologies and strategies such as renewable power sources, efficient use of energy, and water conservation.
Furthermore, the governor’s office organized an event at UNLV called “Green Team Day” where students can form student groups inspired by the theme of “Team Up! We Can Save Our State By Saving It For Us!”
These groups are encouraged to do something they have always wanted to do but never had enough money or motivation to pursue — join together with others to make changes around the school campus or community. These changes could be spending less than usual on food or gas at lunch time, taking public transportation instead of cars, using lower amounts of electricity at home, etc.
This article will talk about some examples of green energy projects done in the city of Henderson, NV which is located just outside of Las Vegas. There you will find plenty of opportunities to learn more about sustainability and how easy it is to contribute towards protecting our environment.
EDF Renewable
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In May of 2014, Environment Delaware released an article about one of the largest green energy projects in Nevada. The article discussed the fact that NV Power, LLC, a company founded by billionaire Steven Cohen, has invested over $1 million to build what they describe as “the world’s first floating solar power plant.”
The article went onto say that this project is located off the coast of Ault Beach in Northern Point MacKays Beach, just north of Reno. It also mentioned some interesting facts such as how the turbine works, how it was financed, and why this type of renewable energy can be important for our future.
EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) describes their product as a “floating photovoltaic array powered by the sun.” What makes these arrays special is that they are able to harness the energy from both the direct rays of the sun as well as the indirect rays that come from the atmosphere. This is called diffuse light.
Because it is hovering above water, it does not require any kind of structure to hold it up like traditional solar panels do. Since it is no longer attached to land, there is less risk of breaking or destruction caused by strong winds or heavy rains.
This means that the PV system is more stable than normal panel installations which could potentially cause damage to people living nearby or potential property devaluation if it were to break down.
NV Energy
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In May of 2018, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed an executive order creating the Silver State’s first energy-efficiency agency. The new organization was tasked with promoting renewable and sustainable energy alternatives to traditional utilities in the state.
The governor also directed the department to create green power programs for individuals and businesses, as well as recommendations for changes to existing laws that could be modified to promote clean energy.
Since then, many have questioned whether this move is truly about sustainability or if it is more like a stealth strategy to push renewables out of the market.
Utilities such as NV Energy actively discourage people from switching away from their products by making it expensive to do so. This tactic works because most electricity comes through large utility companies, so even thinking about changing your provider can incur high fees.
Switching providers is not only costly, but it can be difficult as well. Most major suppliers are heavily guarded secrets that only work for specific brands. If you find one that does work, they may ask for a large up-front fee or monthly subscription.
These hurdles make it very hard for average consumers to try alternative sources of energy. Fortunately, there are ways to take control of your own energy future! Read on to learn more about some viable options.
GE Renewable
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General Electric is one of the largest manufacturers in the world, with facilities all over the place including locations in more than 30 countries. But back in 2011 they made the very significant decision to go green by investing $200 million in renewable energy projects worldwide. This includes spending over $100 million directly on solar power plants!
GE’s goal was to get 1% of their total electricity coming from renewables (1%, or 100 thousandth of a percent, comes to about 672 kWh per year for every person living in America!). They wanted to push this number even higher by creating an incentive for people to use their products that include electricity!
By offering direct incentives to customers who use greener energy sources, General Electric was able to help them realize their goals while also helping the environment at the same time. It is estimated that these rewards helped save 2.
Sierra Club
In September of 2016, just two months after taking over as CEO of NV Current, Tesla announced its plans to build an $800 million factory in Nevada that will produce enough solar panels to supply all of the power needed for 250,000 average homes per year.
This is not your normal statement about investing in renewable energy. This was no casual announcement either. Elon Musk, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, mentioned the exact location where the plant would be built, and he even included some statistics to show how much money the state would make off of this investment.
But what most people don’t know is that before Tesla made this very public commitment, Governor Brian Sandoval worked hard to get the company to come to Nevada. He even offered to change the name of the state from “Nevada Without Renewable Energy Credits” to something more appealing!
And now that this company has officially committed to building one of the largest solar panel manufacturing facilities in the world in his state, it is time to see if he got his reward. It seems clear that he did.
Many politicians use promises to appeal to an audience that wants them to take action. Sometimes they are telling the truth, and sometimes they are not. It is up to you to determine which ones are which.
Bonneville Power
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In March of this year, Nevada legalized electricity sold to consumers directly from renewable sources like solar energy or wind power. Called “distributed generation” (or DGR for short), it is now legal under state law!
That means you can create your own source of energy by installing a solar panel array or a wind turbine at your home or business. You then sell that power back to an electric company via a feeder line, usually paid through your normal utility bill.
Renewable fuel providers pay people to generate energy off-the-grid in what they call a Community Renewable Generation (CRG) project. These projects typically offer lower cost electricity than grid-powered utilities due to the low overhead costs associated with running a CRG system.
Since these systems do not have transmission lines involved, there are no infrastructure expenses either. This results in lower production-cost per kWh generated. Solar and wind energy are both expensive enough as it is, so cutting down on those costs really helps make green energy more accessible.
Finding community powered sites is one way to learn how to be a green energy producer yourself. By producing your own clean energy, you reduce demand on larger grids, and help mitigate global warming.
Rocky Mountain Institute
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In addition to being known for its famous festivals, restaurants, and entertainment venues, Nevada is also well-known as one of the world’s top destinations for gambling. The state actively cultivates this reputation by offering some of the most extravagant casinos in the world that feature green energy projects at their facilities.
The MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas features an array of solar panels on its roofs which it uses to power part of its electricity supply. This includes powering certain lighting systems and keeping air conditioners running during hot summer days.
By incorporating renewable energy into their operations, the casino not only helps preserve our natural resources, but it also sets an example for other large corporations that use energy to motivate others to go green as well.
It is important to note that installing solar panel technology isn’t cheap, which is why most major companies don’t do it unless they receive adequate compensation for doing so. But if you are looking to help save the environment while promoting greener practices, then investing in such equipment can be worth your time.