ENERGY
Las Vegas Review Journal | Can Nevada’s mining industry help fuel the transition to renewable energy?
May 5, 2023
Dana Bennett has been appointed interim president of the Nevada Mining Association. She will replace Tyre Gray, who left the association in February. The focus of the association is AB 313, which would ban pit lakes formed by mines across the state. There is growing interest in how the mining industry will help fuel the transition to renewable energy. With the transportation sector accounting for one-third of Nevada’s greenhouse gas emissions, there has been significant effort to expand the use of electric vehicles and the infrastructure that supports it.
Nevada Current | State Bureau of Consumer Protection appeals NV Energy bid to recoup costs from customers
May 2, 2023
The Bureau of Consumer Protection in Nevada has filed an appeal asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reconsider its order granting NV Energy permission to seek rate hikes to recoup costs for its $2.5bn Greenlink transmission line project. Nevada’s state lawmakers approved the entire project last year. Ernest Figueroa, the head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, believes NV Energy’s lobbying of the Nevada Legislature to pass SB 448 was done to “circumvent the denial of construction” of parts of the Greenlink Nevada project.
Catherine Cortez Masto| Masto Highlights Clean Energy Jobs in Southern Nevada at New Battery Manufacturing Facility
May 8, 2023
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) highlighted Nevada’s growing clean energy economy at a tour of Lithion’s brand-new battery manufacturing facility. Lithion’s new facility is the first manufacturing plant in the world outside China making cylindrical cell lithium-ion batteries, which are critical for everything from electric cars and e-bikes to medical instruments to laptops. They’ve been able to expand operations, open a second plant, and employ over 100 Nevadans thanks to federal support from Cortez Masto to boost Nevada’s renewable energy industry.
Las Vegas Review Journal | (Opinion) STEVE SEBELIUS: Mining bill turns allies to adversaries
May 6, 2023
US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s sponsorship of a mining bill has sparked controversy among environmentalists, who criticize it as an “unprecedented giveaway” to the mining industry. The four-page Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2023 would allow mining companies to dump waste rock on adjacent property, repudiating a recent 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. Critics argue the bill would damage public lands, hurt wildlife, and entrench injustice to Indigenous communities. However, Cortez Masto, who introduced the bill, said mining is essential to Nevada for job creation and green energy, including lithium mining for electric car batteries.
Nevada Current | Lithium mining company hopes to plow ahead by growing endangered plant in greenhouse
May 5, 2023
Australian mining company Ioneer Corp has faced opposition from federal wildlife managers after plans to mine the only known population of the Thiem’s buckwheat plan in Nevada were submitted. The plant is a rare wildflower listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and its protected habitat now overlaps with the mine’s proposed site in Esmeralda County. The company has submitted new mining plans that would use buffer zones and fencing to protect the plant. However, if approved as proposed, the project would remove 38% of the designated critical habitat for the species and create a permanent quarry and pit lake.
Interesting Engineering | Vegas Loop expansion: County approves plan to build 69 underground stations
May 5, 2023
Clark County Commissioners have given Elon Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC) permission to expand its Vegas Loop underground transportation system to 69 stations, requiring a tunnel network of 65 miles. The initial proposal included 51 stations and a tunnel network of 29 miles, but currently, the service only runs 2.2 miles, connecting the Las Vegas Convention Center with Resorts World. TBC plans to expand the network into residential areas located north, west, and east of the strip. However, the system’s speed needs to improve, as it is currently using Tesla electric vehicles to ferry people around in the tunnels at a speed of 30 mph.
May 3, 2023
The Senate has approved a measure to reinstate tariffs on solar panel imports from several Southeast Asian countries, including China, that President Biden has paused in a bid to boost solar installations in the US. The solar tariffs measure was approved 56-41, and now goes to the White House, where President Biden has vowed to veto it. A separate measure sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas was approved to undo federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a rare grouse that’s found in parts of the Midwest and Southwest, including one of the country’s most prolific oil and gas fields.
Reno Gazette Journal | (Opinion) Nevada solar businesses need stability, not stumbling blocks
May 3, 2023
When solar deployment in Nevada came to a halt last year due to tariff threats, President Biden stepped up and enacted a two-year reprieve from the additional costs, which provided much-needed certainty for the industry. Now Congress is threatening to pull the rug out from under the clean energy companies who do business in Nevada, hurting our ability to create jobs and prosperity in the state.
Las Vegas Review-Journal | Still going up: Expect higher gas bills in Nevada this summer
April 26, 2023
Southwest Gas customers in Southern Nevada can expect to see higher rates again, starting in July. The Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved Tuesday the utility’s request for a new annual rate, which would increase Southwest Gas’ revenue by $11.8 million. The new rates will take effect July 1, and the increases will be mostly felt by Southern Nevadans. Southwest Gas originally requested a higher annual rate, but it entered a stipulation agreement with the Bureau of Consumer Protection and PUC regulatory staff over its rate changes. The agreement was made after a February consumer listening session, where many residents voiced opposition to further rate increases.
HEAT & CLIMATE
May 5, 2023
A report by Climate Action Against Disinformation has accused Google, which owns and operates YouTube, of profiting from climate misinformation by allowing ads to appear on 200 YouTube videos containing climate misinformation as of April 17, 2023. These videos have been viewed by 73.8 million people, and the ads have featured brands such as Costco, Politico, and Tommy Hilfiger. Google has policies that outline its misinformation policy, and in 2021, it promises to prohibit ads and monetization of content that contradicts the well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change. However, the report claims that Google is not following its own policies.
May 4, 2023
A new report from the American Lung Association shows that cities across the West are heavily impacted by ozone and particulate pollution, which can increase the risk of premature birth, damage airways and worsen heart disease, among other serious health impacts. The report found that wildfires were a key factor contributing to increased particulate pollution across a broad swath of the West. Reno, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Boise were among the 25 cities most impacted by short-term particulate pollution. Western cities dominated both rankings, as well as the year-round particulate pollution list.
May 5, 2023
There is an alarming reality of urban heat islands in Nevada, where some areas like East Las Vegas are baking under concrete and asphalt with hardly any trees or plants. Activists must urge lawmakers to pass a bill that would reward communities for growing and caring for trees in urban settings. Cayenne Engle, urban and community forestry program coordinator at the Nevada Division of Forestry, and Lisa Ortega, executive director of Nevada Plants, explain how urban forestry can help fight climate change, clean the air, lower energy bills, and make our cities more livable.
Nevada Independent | Use the ABCs to improve Nevada’s environment
May 8, 2023
At the foundation of all environmental solutions is advocacy: a crucial aspect of communication and contribution in any society. In Nevada, we can make a significant impact by advocating for a cleaner, more efficient community. Additionally, supporting government initiatives can create a tremendous impact at the highest levels of leadership. While we cannot control all factors that contribute to environmental degradation, we can still take action today by adopting the “Environmental ABCs.”
The Art NewsPaper | Nevada Museum of Art acts to reduce its carbon footprint—and energy costs
May 8, 2023
On 1 September 2022, the temperature in Reno, Nevada, reached 99°F, around 10°F above the historical average for that day of the year; it would ultimately be the state’s warmest September on record. Outside the Nevada Museum of Art, members of the artist collective Fallen Fruit debuted their new public installation Monument to Sharing (2022), which features more than 20 fruit-bearing trees and other plantings intended to prompt conversations about scarcity, community and ecology.
WATER
Nevada Independent | Water bills advance as lawmakers from both parties back more agency funding
May 4, 2023
The Nevada Division of Water Resources, responsible for managing water rights in the driest state in America, is understaffed and underfunded. Processing permits takes time and resources, while the division also oversees disputes over existing water rights, making timely processing all the more critical. The bipartisan budget committee agreed to raise the governor’s recommended budget by $3.1 million over the next two years to hire an additional 10 employees to begin tackling the backlog of work. This proposed solution still needs approval, but if approved, it will provide the necessary resources to support the engineers, hydrologists and other experts tasked with ensuring communities and ecosystems have access to adequate water resources.
Las Vegas Sun | The Nevada water crisis you aren’t hearing about
May 7, 2023
There is a grave water crisis facing Nevada, but it’s not the one getting all the press. Hidden underground, aquifers are being rapidly depleted, causing untold impacts to natural and human communities. While Southern Nevada existentially depends on the Colorado River for commercial and residential water, many communities in rural Nevada are entirely dependent on groundwater for their survival.
Nevada Independent | Nevada puts winter storm costs at $10.6M; FEMA help promised
April 29, 2023
President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration authorizing Federal Emergency Management Agency cost-sharing funds to repair damage from floods, landslides, and mudslides in Nevada due to severe winter storms in March. The estimated cost is currently $10.6 million and expected to rise as assessments are completed. All but four of Nevada’s 17 counties and tribal lands were included in the emergency declaration initially enacted by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Eric Holt, emergency services director in Lincoln County, said it will cost several million dollars to repair roads, washed-out spillways, and other infrastructure, and pointed to a 75% cost share from FEMA.
KTNV | The Great American Drought
May 4, 2023
The Great American Drought explores the solutions that Israel, a country that has thrived despite being built in a desert, can offer to the U.S., which is facing a megadrought that threatens millions of people and ecosystems. The segment features interviews with Israeli experts, farmers, and entrepreneurs who share their innovations and best practices in water management, conservation, and technology. Also highlighted is the potential for cooperation and partnership between Israel and the U.S. on water issues.
Nevada Independent | (Opinion) Commitment to Lake Tahoe’s conservation continues
May 3, 2023
[Editor’s note: This opinion was submitted in response to the April 21 opinion piece written by Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos about Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.] Lake Tahoe’s clarity in 2021 was the clearest it has been since the 1980s, according to scientists studying the lake’s clarity for decades. Lake Tahoe is fragile, and its conservation is still ongoing, with the land experiencing a pendulum swing in development views. The 2012 Regional Plan Update helped catalyze $430 million in business and tourist accommodation improvements, and over 300 restoration projects were completed by partners in the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program in a decade. As the pandemic subsides, more environmental redevelopment projects are starting to come forward, with TRPA taking a hard look at its policies’ benefits for workers, businesses and communities.
May 3, 2023
Hydrologists are predicting that Lake Powell will likely increase by nearly 69 feet and Lake Mead will go up by nearly 12 feet by the end of July, despite the ongoing drought in the Colorado River Basin. According to Paul Miller, a hydrologist with the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center, the numbers come from a 24-month study. The increase in water levels is a result of a massive amount of snowpack and colder than normal water temperatures throughout the region. However, experts say the wet winter won’t get us out of the decades-long drought, and it’s going to take a long time and continued conservation efforts from everyone!
May 3, 2023
The ABC program 20/20 “Secrets of the Lake” will showcase what has been found as a result of the drought on Lake Mead. Among the things discovered due to the vanishing water levels is an entire town, St. Thomas. The town, which is above water due to the drought in Nevada, has a rich history, and its cultural and educational center was funded via ice cream socials put on by the local Latter-day Saint Relief Society. According to CBS affiliate KLAS, Lake Mead water levels are anticipated to drop again by September 2023.
Longview News Journal | Wettest counties in Nevada
May 5, 2023
Rain, sleet, snow, hail, wintry mix. Precipitation takes on many forms, and the degree to which climate change affects precipitation levels comes down to something almost everyone learns about in school—Earth’s water cycle. Stacker cited data from the National Centers for Environmental Information to identify the counties in Nevada that receive the most precipitation through rain, sleet, or snow. Counties are ranked by five-year precipitation averages in inches as of February 2023 with rainfall over the past year serving as a tiebreaker. Supplementary data on how last year’s precipitation compares to the 100-year average for the area is also included.
LANDS & WILDLIFE
Nevada Independent | (Opinion) New monuments a great start. Let’s do more
May 5th, 2023
Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft and Eagle County Board of County Commissioners Chair Kathy Chandler-Henry penned an op-ed praising President Biden’s recent national monument designations in Nevada and Colorado. The authors assert that national monuments and protected public lands support health, economies and well-being, while safeguarding these areas from overdevelopment and exploitation. Both commissioners also acknowledge that national monument designations benefit nearby communities by creating jobs and increasing tourism.
Nevada Appeal | Bi-state sage grouse considered for threatened status, again
May 3, 2023
The bi-state sage grouse, which can be found only in Nevada and California, is under consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act for the third time in a decade. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting a new review after a federal judge ruled last year that the Trump administration had acted illegally by withdrawing the most recent proposal to list the species as threatened. The bi-state grouse population is now down to around 3,300 birds, about half the number it was 150 years ago. Conservationists argue that political maneuvering has prevented its protection, and that a formal listing could limit development, livestock and off-road vehicles.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management | (Press Release) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELEASES MEETING DATES FOR PROPOSED PUBLIC LANDS RULE
May 3, 2023
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced a series of five public meetings to discuss the proposed Public Lands Rule, aimed at protecting healthy public lands and promoting habitat conservation and restoration while also allowing for thoughtful development. The rule would also better recognize unique cultural and natural resources on public lands, and better use science and data in decision-making. The BLM will host two virtual and three in-person meetings in May and June for the public to learn more and ask questions. The proposed rule would not prevent recreational or commercial uses of public lands, and comments can be submitted until June 20, 2023.
May 5, 2023
A public service campaign introduces a small rock to share a big message about America’s National Conservation Lands and how visitors should access them safely and respect
