Phoebe Sweet

Reporter/ Utilities and Environment

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Recent Stories (view all stories)

Incoming agency chief has sleeves rolled up: Gibbons appointee says he’s ready to lead Nevada’s fight against nuclear waste dump; Friday, Jan. 2, 2009; On Monday, Gov. Jim Gibbons appointed Bruce Breslow, a former sportscaster and past mayor of Sparks, to take over for the embattled Bob Loux as director of the state’s Nuclear Projects Agency.
New plant would strain consumers, suit says: Friday, Jan. 2, 2009; The state Consumer Protection Bureau says NV Energy customers will pay too much for electricity if the utility is allowed to build a gas-fired power plant 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Now you can know when air is bad: E-mails from government warn of pollution in the area, present and future; Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008; Many Las Vegans simply rely on a quick check of the brown ring of smog across the mountains rimming the Las Vegas Valley for an indication of our air quality.
Science of Sci-Fi in storage plan?: State is contesting federal safeguards it calls pipe dreams; Friday, Dec. 19, 2008; The federal government has a plan to keep Las Vegas safe from the radioactive waste it wants to store at Yucca Mountain. Too bad none of those things exist, opponents say.
When the power company builds, we pay: But when expansion plans were aired, public was mostly silent; Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008; A nearly 18 percent increase in residential electric rates proposed by NV Energy sparked public outrage last week. Consumers are saying a down economy is a poor time to charge customers more.
Gibbons mum as govs take stand on burning coal: Other Western leaders call for tough emissions limits on old plants as well as new; Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008; The Western Governors’ Association’s list of energy policy suggestions for the Obama administration is mostly standard fare.
Rail line hangs on hearing: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008; The Energy Department shouldn’t be allowed to build rail lines in Nevada to carry high-level radioactive waste to Yucca Mountain until it first examines the repercussions of shipping the waste through other states, Nevada officials will argue today.
NV Energy flush with ‘green’ power proposals: Obstacles to pursuing one are considerable, even with renewables mandate in 2015; Friday, Nov. 28, 2008; The number of renewable energy developers responding to a call from NV Energy to design the utility’s next green project has doubled from last year.
Six Questions for Benjamin Grumbles: Environmental Protection Agency’s assistant administrator for water; Monday, Nov. 24, 2008; Benjamin Grumbles, the Environmental Protection Agency’s assistant administrator for water, has a lot of pictures of himself with toilets.
Copper prices threaten mining town: In towns whose economies lack diversity, one crashing market can be devastating; Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008; Bruce Kennedy, manager of the Robinson copper mine near Ely, hasn’t been sleeping well.