Guinn names Energy Policy Committee

Gov. Kenny Guinn has named a committee of 17 - mostly from big business and Nevada utilities - to look at the potential impact of electric deregulation and develop recommendations.

He announced plans for the panel when he decided to stop the deregulation process Oct. 4.

"Part of the reason I am currently unwilling to proceed with deregulation and subject the people of Nevada to an unstable power market is the lack of a comprehensive energy policy," said Guinn. "I'm confident this inclusive, bipartisan panel will help the state not only with deregulation but future energy concerns."

He told the group to develop recommendations for implementing deregulation and to formulate a long-term state energy policy.

The group includes representatives of both the major utilities in the state and the major power users - the resort industry and mining.

It also includes Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, who heads the Senate Commerce Committee, and Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, who sits on the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee.

The committee also includes several consumer representatives including Ernie Nielson of the Washoe County Senior Law Project and Community Services Agency Director Cloyd Phillips of Reno as well as Consumer Advocate Tim Hay.

The committee will be headed by former Public Utilities Commissioner JoAnn Kelly. Its other members are:

Bill Bible of the Nevada Resort Association, Nevada Power/Sierra Pacific Power CEO Walt Higgins, Pat Mulroy of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Michael Maffie, president of Southwest Gas, Tim Cashman of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce;

Brian Ayala of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, Russ Fields of the Nevada Mining Association, Ron Burch, who owns and operates a geothermal power plant in Washoe County, and Terry Graves who will represent alternative energy.

t also includes Max Jones of the Nevada League of Cities and LeRoy Goodman, a Lyon County commissioner who will represent the Nevada Association of Counties.