Nevada Awards First Renewable Energy State Rebate

November 30, 2004

The Washoe Indian Tribe of Nevada and California has received a $33,185 rebate check from Sierra Pacific Power Company for investing in solar power — the first rebate in Nevada resulting from a pioneering state program to encourage the use of renewable energy. The program is called SolarGenerations.

Sierra Pacific Power will present the rebate check to the Washoe Tribe on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 1:30 p.m. at the company’s Reno headquarters, 6100 Neil Road. State Senator Randolph Townsend, Danny Thompson, executive secretary and treasurer of the Nevada AFL-CIO, and Don Soderberg, chairman of the Nevada Public Utilities Commission will also be participating in the event. An array of photovoltaic panels will be on display.

Another 55 similar small commercial and residential solar projects in Nevada, capable of producing nearly 200 kilowatts of electricity are under construction. These projects are eligible for a combined total of $1 million in rebates.

The program was created by Assembly Bill 431 – the Solar Energy Systems Demonstration Program – passed by the 2003 session of the Nevada State Legislature. The legislation was implemented by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada which authorized rebates for Nevadans who install photovoltaic (PV) systems.

“Nevada has some of the finest solar resources in the country,” said State Senator Randolph Townsend. “Developing those resources will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to a cleaner environment.”

Added Don Soderberg, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, “Renewable resources are a vital component of Nevada’s energy portfolio and will aid in our battle against the volatile energy markets. I appreciate the Tribe’s commitment to sustainable resources and advancing the use of renewable energy in Nevada.”

Customers who install PV panels are eligible for a rebate of $5 per watt of electricity produced during the first year of the program. Two weeks after the SolarGenerations program was announced, Sierra Pacific and Nevada Power received enough applications to commit all residential and small business funding for the first year. (Year One Applications are still be accepted for schools and public buildings.)

The SolarGenerations program is the first of its kind administered by utilities in Nevada, according to Bob Balzar, director of energy efficiency and conservation for Sierra Pacific and Nevada Power and a member of the Nevada Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Task Force.

“The demonstration program lets people see how photovoltaics work. It will help offset energy costs for participants, and, importantly, it will allow us to achieve greater use of the state’s abundant sunshine while reducing Nevada’s reliance on fossil fuels,” Balzar said.

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