Nevada
NV Energy says it's ready for another summer scorcher
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — According to the calendar, it’s not summer yet, but the extreme heat we’re seeing in Southern Nevada would have one think otherwise.
The high temperature, according to Channel 13 meteorologist Justin Bruce, was expected to hit 108 in Las Vegas on Wednesday, well above the seasonal norm.
With the scorching Southern Nevada sun now bearing down, questions abound, as they usually do this time of year, about our power grid and its ability to keep up with electricity demand with all the air conditioners in overdrive.
According to NV Energy spokeswoman Meghin Delaney, the utility is ready to handle whatever summer throws its way in 2024.
“We prepare year-round for summer,” Delaney said. “We’re ready to meet that increased load from our customers. We feel really good about where our grid is at here in the early part of the summer.”
Even with the unseasonably hot temps for early June, Delaney said it’s not expected that NV Energy will put out a call to conserve power. The last time that happened was actually in September 2022, Delaney said.
“We do encourage our customers to always, if they can, cut back in certain areas,” Delaney said. “We do recommend, if you’re at home, keeping your thermostat at 78 degrees. Now, that seems pretty warm, but when it’s 110 degrees outside, 78 feels pretty good.”
If there’s nobody home for an extended period — like during the work day — Delaney said NV Energy recommends cranking that thermostat up five degrees.
Energy prices are always a concern for homeowners and landlords, but Delaney said consumers in Southern Nevada will be getting a bit of a break this summer.
Because of lower fuel purchase rates, NV Energy expects the average customer in the Las Vegas Valley to have a power bill that’s close to $50 cheaper in July when compared to the same month in 2023.
The average bill for a single-family residential customer is expected to be about $242 in July.
“We’re excited about this,” Delaney said. “Natural gas prices have gone, so those bills are expected to be lower.”
Delaney said that NV Energy officials will keep a close eye on power consumption all summer. If extended periods of extreme heat hit the Western U.S., it’s possible that the utility might have to look to purchase energy on the open market, which could lead to increased consumer prices.
For now, she said, nothing like that is on the horizon.
“We’re hear to help our customers,” Delaney said. “If you’re struggling to pay your bill, please call us. We have programs and services to help you.”
For more information about those programs, customers can call 702-402-5555 or visit the NV Energy website at nvenergy.com.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom won’t admit it, but a move by President Donald Trump is especially helpful to drivers in California — and Nevada.
Gasoline prices are pressuring consumers around the country. On Friday, the average U.S. price was $4.55 a gallon. In California, that would be a bargain. The average there was $6.16 a gallon. Nevada’s average was $5.23 a gallon, the result of around 88 percent of the state’s gasoline coming from California.
It might be getting worse — regardless of what happens in Iran.
In recent months, two major California refineries have shut down. That represented a 17 percent reduction in California’s refining capacity. Their closures weren’t caused by the Iran war, but by Gov. Newsom and California’s relentless attacks on fossil fuels.
To make up for the fuel it won’t extract or refine in-state, California depends on imports from foreign countries.
“We are importing 30 percent of our crude oil from the Middle East,” Mike Ariza, a former control board supervisor at the Valero Benicia Refinery, said in an interview. He has been warning the public about California’s potential fuel shortage. “There are not very many ships left on the way that have fuel,” he said last month.
Last week, KCRA-TV in Sacramento reported that “about 2 million barrels of oil are in the process of being unloaded in Long Beach off of the last California-bound tanker that got through the Strait of Hormuz.”
At a California legislative hearing Tuesday, Siva Gunda, the vice chairman of the California Energy Commission, said the state has enough gasoline to accommodate demand for the next six weeks. That’s not a very long time, especially given that it takes weeks or months for oil to travel from the Middle East to California. And that process won’t begin until the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
There is a region, however, with abundant oil available for sale and safe passage — the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, the Jones Act, an antiquated 1920 law, mandates that only U.S.-flagged ships may move cargo between U.S. ports. But only 55 of the more than 7,000 oil tankers worldwide comply with this requirement.
This is where Mr. Trump rode to the rescue. Late last month, the White House announced Mr. Trump would suspend the Jones Act for another 90 days. In March, he originally waived it for 60 days. This will make it easier for California and Nevada to obtain domestic product.
If only Mr. Trump could also suspend the destructive energy policies imposed by Gov. Newsom and California Democrats.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — An adoptable pet is in the spotlight for “Furever Home Friday,” with Amy from the Nevada SPCA featured in a segment highlighting an animal available for adoption today.
The Nevada SPCA encouraged viewers looking to add a pet to their family to consider adopting.
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