Listen to the story HERE By Shantey Hudson November 21, 2023 The group Elected Officials to Protect America says clean energy investments through the Inflation Reduction Act should pay off well for Nevada families – not only in terms of rebates on energy-efficient appliances and items like heat pumps and solar panels – but for health, and even national security. State Senator […]
Listen to the story HERE
By Shantey Hudson
November 21, 2023
The group Elected Officials to Protect America says clean energy investments through the Inflation Reduction Act should pay off well for Nevada families – not only in terms of rebates on energy-efficient appliances and items like heat pumps and solar panels – but for health, and even national security.
State Senator Pat Spearman, D-Clark County and a former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, said the need is urgent to address the impacts of what she calls “reckless use of fossil fuels.”
“Well, imagine 20, 30, 40 years from now, when your children are talking to their children or grandchildren, and they have to explain what it was like to go to the park and sit by a tree, what it was like to actually be able to go outside and play,” Spearman said.
She also pointed to the health consequences of rising temperatures. The EPA said Nevada has warmed about two degrees in the last century – and even that slight increase makes people more susceptible to heart and lung disease.
Alex Cornell du Houx, a Marine Corps veteran and co-founder of EOPA, warned impacts on the environment are not the only concern. He also said relying on fossil fuels is economically risky, with unpredictable fuel prices, but also to national security.
“The Inflation Reduction Act, it is part of the solution to decouple ourselves from this dependency on the source of energy, which autocratic nations primarily control,” du Houx said. “It’s an amazing solution that’s really tangible and a historic investment.”
Nevada already gets about one-third of its energy from renewable sources, but there’s a long way to go to meet the state’s 100% carbon-free energy goal by 2050. Spearman said she’s been exploring state-level opportunities to make headway, and is fully aware that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to this pressing issue.
“Here in Nevada, I’ve sponsored several bills – several of them to bring back solar, but have also sponsored bills to make sure that we expand our Renewable Portfolio Standards to include geothermal,” Spearman said.
She has also been part of a task force to explore how Nevada can include hydrogen fuel cells as a storage option.
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