Governor Gibbons Applauds Senator Reid's Assistance With Nevada's Renewable Energy Future

June 30, 2009

SENATOR’S EFFORTS WILL HELP RENEWABLE ENERGY WORK ALREADY DONE BY GOVERNOR

Carson City - Governor Jim Gibbons today applauded Senator Harry Reid’s new efforts to encourage renewable energy production in several Western states. Reid announced he is helping bring solar energy projects to Arizona, Utah, California, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. Governor Gibbons, focusing his renewable energy efforts solely on Nevada, has spent more than two years working on infrastructure projects and plans for solar, wind and geothermal energy production in the state.

“Hopefully, Senator Reid can fulfill his promises to reduce the federal bureaucracy and red-tape for renewable energy projects,” Gibbons said, “At the state level, Nevada is far ahead of the other Western states Reid is supporting.”

Shortly after taking office in 2007, Governor Gibbons put together a special committee that was comprised of Nevada experts which mapped areas where solar, wind and geothermal energy projects should be located and also mapped where new power transmission lines need to be built. Governor Gibbons also spearheaded efforts to create a special non-profit corporation to enable public-private partnerships for renewable energy projects in Nevada. Governor Gibbons believes renewable energy projects will permanently diversify Nevada’s economy and create thousands of high-paying permanent jobs.

Nevada Energy Advisor Dr. Hatice Gecol said, “Governor Gibbons has worked tirelessly to build the foundation for a renewable energy future in Nevada that is realistic, environmentally sensible and economically viable.”