Nevada

NV Energy aggravates climate change

Published

7 months ago

May 10, 2024

Cathy and B Fulkerson
| Reno Gazette Journal

We feel blessed to have grown up in Reno, raised by parents who frequently took us on camping trips, picnics and hikes throughout the desert and mountains of Nevada. They instilled in us a sense of awe and reverence for the miracle of living among such natural wonder. We are deeply saddened to see that beauty slipping away, with half of our beloved Sagebrush alone destroyed in 40 years.

But our sadness turns to anger, knowing it could disappear forever if NV Energy and other Berkshire Hathaway-owned utilities continue to put their profits ahead of a clean energy transition.

When our great-grandparents escaped the Irish famine and landed in Wadsworth, the Truckee Meadows was surrounded by 600-year-old trees, with 40-pound trout from Pyramid Lake spawning up the Truckee River. Those trees and fish are not only gone, they are forgotten, decimated by dams, excessive pollution and logging for the Comstock mines.

The deer- and bear-laden forests that remain around Reno, and trout-filled Truckee River, also could be gone and forgotten by future generations, given the rapid pace of climate change and the lackluster response of NV Energy and others who have gone from climate deniers to climate pretenders.

Born in 1957 (Cathy) and 1960 (B), we are closer to the exit than the entrance. We know that the actions taken by those of us who are alive today will impact hundreds of generations to come. That’s why we are part of a growing movement in Nevada to protest NV Energy and to make sure our governor, Legislature and Public Utilities Commission force them to do the right thing.

Cathy is new to activism, stepping up in her retirement to work with other, older Nevadans who are also new to activism in order to harness the power of our generation.

B has engaged in traditional policy work — advocating for laws and regulations that protect the common good — for 40 years in Nevada, and sees this getting more difficult as the system is further rigged.

Our hometown of Reno is the fastest-warming city in America, with average summer temperatures that are 10.9° hotter than in 1970. Last year, we saw the deadliest wildfires in over a century, Florida seawater hitting 101-degree hot-tub levels, and the hottest summer ever recorded.

We are angry and disappointed that NV Energy continues to: 1) kill rooftop solar and thwart community solar; 2) bypass the Integrated Resource Planning process to install expensive, short-lived fossil fuel energy plants via amendments; and 3) use ratepayer funds to pay for employee bonuses, corporate lobbyists and lavish entertainment, all while planning a threefold increase in our monthly base rate.

Nevada rooftops aren’t blazoned with solar panels because NV Energy kills every clean energy proposal unless it can own and profit from it.

Corporations like NV Energy and Berkshire Hathaway are responsible for climate change, high energy burdens and political corruption. They work with trade associations, dark money networks and lobbyists who spend untold amounts of money in Nevada and nationally to buy politicians and block advances like community and rooftop solar.

We can end our dependence on burning things for energy and stabilize our climate in the process — but only if NV Energy, its parent company Berkshire Hathaway and their ilk stop putting their profits before the future of our planet.

Like millions around the globe, we feel that the greatest task of generations alive today is to give our grandchildren and future generations a shot at a livable planet by hastening a green energy transition and ending the burning of fossil fuels. Please join us, beginning with speaking out at next month’s consumer sessions before the Public Utilities Commission.

Cathy Fulkerson is the co-facilitator of Third Act Nevada and B Fulkerson is the lead national organizer for Third Act.

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Nevada

NEVADA VIEWS: Lessons from Nevada’s Question 3

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

NEVADA VIEWS: Lessons from Nevada’s Question 3

A majority of Nevada voters rejected Question 3 on the Nov. 5 ballot. This complex amendment would have eliminated party primaries, advanced five candidates to general elections and introduced a new voting method in general elections

I moved to Nevada in 2021 to care for my aging mother. Before that time, I lived in Maine, where I led efforts that opened Maine’s primaries to all voters and protected the nation’s first statewide ranked-choice voting law.

My values and experience inform me that initiatives to change how we elect our leaders should make their way to voters as the result of home-grown and grassroots movements that are thoughtful, collaborative, strategic and patient.

I am dumbfounded that out-of-state donors and advocates would come into Nevada, steamroll stakeholders and potential allies, rush a constitutional amendment to ballot and spend millions to score a quick win for their preferred policy prescription to our political ills.

As a recent Review-Journal editorial noted, the national coalition behind Question 3 pushed similar initiatives in other states in 2024. Voters rejected each of these proposals.

Here are a few of my takeaways from these failed efforts:

■ Mission and strategy must align. Election reform is inherently hopeful and optimistic. Ramming through policy changes and seeking to buy elections are anti-democratic and deeply cynical approaches to politics. Coalitions with antithetical missions and strategies will almost always fail to achieve the real and lasting change that they seek.

■ Patience is practical. Process matters. How change is made can be as important as what change is made, especially when it comes to process reforms. Elections and voting reform initiatives must be organized by local leaders who will build coalitions and recruit volunteers to secure majority support for their cause, one voter and one conversation at a time. The proper role of national groups is not to lead or dictate, but to support.

■ There is no single solution to fix our broken politics. There are 50 states and more than 50 ways of conducting elections and voting in the United States. While policymakers and advocates should learn from one another, we should be skeptical of anyone or any group that promises a silver bullet or pushes a one-size-fits-all solution.

Voters aren’t stupid. We have a sense when politicians and special interests are trying to put one over on us. Question 3 didn’t pass the straight-face test.

That’s too bad because my experience with ranked-choice voting in Maine has taught me that it works to eliminate vote-splitting and ensure majority winners. You have the freedom to vote for the candidate you like best without worrying that your vote will be “wasted” or that you will help to elect the candidate you like least. In both Maine and Alaska, ranked-choice voting has stopped extreme candidates from winning congressional races.

Ranked-choice voting also increases voter turnout, reduces negative campaigning and encourages more women and minorities to run for office.

Surveys from the states and cities in which millions of Americans rank their vote indicate that voters find it to be simple and easy to use and preferable.

One of the most disappointing false attacks on ranked-choice voting is that communities of color might find it difficult to rank candidates. To suggest that white voters are intellectually superior to voters of color is a racist argument.

Nevadans are frustrated with politics as usual. We know that our system isn’t working like it should. We know that billionaires and corporations have too much power and influence over decisions that affect us all. We want to strengthen our democracy for future generations.

Had the national advocates behind Question 3 approached this effort differently, I believe that there might have been a different outcome.

Kyle Bailey moved to Nevada in 2021 and previously served in the Maine House of Representatives.

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Nevada

Nevada high school football championships 2024: How to watch state finals online

Published

14 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Nevada high school football championships 2024: How to watch state finals online

The Nevada state high school football championships are here. Here’s how you can watch any of the championship games online on NFHS network.

Watch: Nevada High School football championships

The NIAA state football championships will air from Nov. 23 to Nov. 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

How can I watch Nevada high school football? Fans can subscribe to NFHS Sports Network, a nationwide streaming platform for more than 9,000 high school sports. You can find the list of available schools here.

How much does an NFHS subscription cost? Is there a free trial to NFHS Network? An annual subscription costs $79.99, or you can pay monthly for $11.99 per month.

Can you watch NFHS on your phone or TV? NFHS Network is available on smart TVs like Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Google Chromecast, as well as on iOS and Android smartphones.

Nov. 23:

10 a.m. PT: 2024 NIAA 2A Football Championship Incline Vs. Pershing County

1:30 p.m. PT: 2024 NIAA 5A Div. II Football Championship Faith Lutheran Vs. Bishop Manogue

Nov. 25:

Noon PT: 2024 NIAA 5A Div. III Football Championship Galena Vs. Centennial

Nov. 26:

9 a.m. PT: 2024 NIAA 1A Football Championship Pahranagat Valley Vs. Tonopah

12:20 p.m. PT: 2024 NIAA 3A Football Championship Truckee Vs. SLAM Nevada

3:40 p.m. PT: 2024 NIAA 4A Football Championship Canyon Springs Vs. Mojave

7 p.m. PT: 2024 NIAA 5A Div. I Football Championship Arbor View Vs. Bishop Gorman

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Controversial no-call, early hole dooms Nevada 66-62 against Weber State

Published

22 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Controversial no-call, early hole dooms Nevada 66-62 against Weber State

RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada women’s basketball returned home after two weeks of being way, hosting Weber State, where Lexie Givens jumped to eighth all-time in rebounds in the 66-62 loss to the Wildcats.

Givens recorded 12 rebounds on the night, bumping her to eighth in the Nevada women’s basketball record book after tying ninth last season. With her rebounds, combined with 10 points, Givens got her first double-double of the season.

The first half started out strong for the Wolf Pack as they scored the first points off of free throws by Dymonique Maxie.

Nevada only gave up the lead once in the opening quarter, which it quickly got back and maintained throughout the remainder of the first 10.

Quarter two began with the Pack up 17-9.

The lead stayed with Nevada through five minutes, with Weber State slowly cutting into it. With 5:13 left in the half, the game was tied at 23. Nevada then found itself playing from behind for the rest of the quarter, trailing 40-27 heading into the break.

In the third quarter, Nevada began its comeback, cutting a once 15-point Wildcat lead down to just six. An eight-point run by the Wolf Pack allowed them to get back into it, beginning with free throws by Rakiyah Jackson. She was followed by back-to-back layups, scored first by Audrey Roden and then Izzy Sullivan.

Givens capped off the run with two more made free throws.

Weber State extended its lead a bit heading into the fourth, Nevada down, 51-43.

The final 10 saw the Wolf Pack’s first lead since the second quarter. Nevada inched its way back in front after a three-pointer by Roden, putting the Pack up, 57-56, with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

Nevada tried to keep the lead, but was unable to hold on, dropping the hard-fought battle to Weber State.

Roden, Maxie and Jackson all led the team with 11 points a piece. Jackson also recorded seven rebounds, followed by Olivia Poulivaati with six. Maxie led both teams in steals with a season high of five.

Nevada will remain at home to take on Morgan State on Sunday at 1 PM.

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