Governor favors solar energy

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons believes solar energy should be used in all future state buildings. Gibbons made the statement Wednesday following a ceremony in which Sierra Pacific Power Co. handed a $150,000 rebate to the Nevada Legislature to help pay off a new solar generating unit on a building that handles state printing. The rebate offsets more than half of the $276,000 cost of installing the solar panels that will generate 30 kilowatts of electricity. Gibbons said the pilot project should set the stage for more use of the sun to power government buildings, and the Public Works Board should eventually include solar energy in buildings that the state constructs. Sierra Pacific and sister company Nevada Power are scheduled to appear before the state Public Utilities Commission on Sept. 18 to explain why they... [read full story]