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.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
click to expand photos
Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada’s jobless rate is holding steady, but the state is still adding jobs.
A new report from DETR shows February’s unemployment rate unchanged at 5.3 percent, with the labor force growing by nearly 3,800 people.
MORE ON FOX5: Nevada unemployment rate rises to 5.3% in January
Nevada now has about 1.6 million nonfarm jobs, up 2.2 percent over the past year and 1,500 more jobs than in January.
“This month’s report shows a strengthening labor market,” said David Schmidt, Chief Economist. ”Compared to the report for January, the pace of job gains in the past year increased from 1.9% to 2.2%, building on what was already the fastest pace of job growth in the country. While the unemployment rate remained stable, the labor force participation rate rose to 63.7%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the national level.”
In Las Vegas, employment ticked up by 1,100 jobs in February, about 0.1 percent, and is up more than 25,000 jobs compared to last year.
Reno added 1,000 jobs on the month, while Carson City shed about 200 but is still slightly above where it was a year ago.
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