PUC

Dayton, Nev. – The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has scheduled a consumer session for Wednesday, Jan. 7, to hear public comment regarding AT&T’s application for relief as a designated provider of last resort in its Lyon County service territory.

A telecommunications provider of last resort (POLR) is required to provide basic network service and business line service to any eligible person requesting to receive telephone service in a particular service area.

Southwest Gas is seeking a 2015 rate adjustment hike of around 31 cents a month in winter and 8 cents during summer for Northern Nevada customers, according to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

There will be a consumer session on Thursday, Sept. 18 to hear comments regarding the annual rate adjustment application. Southwest Gas also proposes to increase the average Southern Nevada residential customer monthly bill an estimated 9 cents during the summer and 27 cents in winter. If approved by the commission, the company proposes the rate changes take effect Jan. 1, 2015.

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada is promoting Lifeline Awareness Week, Sept. 8-14. Lifeline is a government benefit program supported by the Universal Service Fund that provides a discount on phone service for qualifying low-income consumers.

NV Energy has petitioned the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada with the hopes of recovering $78 million in costs associated with implementation of electric and gas smart meters in Northern Nevada.

A hearing on the matter is set for today, Wednesday, July 23, at 6 p.m. in Hearing Room A of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, 1150 E. William St. in Carson City.

NV Energy has petitioned the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada with the hopes of recovering $78 million in costs associated with implementation of electric and gas smart meters in Northern Nevada.

A hearing on the matter is set for Wednesday, July 23, at 6 p.m. in Hearing Room A of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, 1150 E. William St.

A consumer session to discuss NV Energy's proposed rate decrease for Northern Nevada electric and gas customers will be presented by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada on Wednesday, June 25, 6 p.m. in Carson City.

For electric customers in Northern Nevada, NV Energy proposes to cut rates an estimated 11.78 percent across all rate classes. The average monthly residential bill is estimated to decrease $5.64, or 6.04 percent. For gas customers in Reno and Sparks, NV Energy proposes to decrease rates an estimated 0.12 percent across all rate classes.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — The Nevada Public Utilities Commission wants staff and visitors to forgo perfume and other synthetic fragrances.

A new dialing procedure for telephone customers within the existing Southern Nevada 702 area code becomes mandatory in less than a month.

Starting May 3, customers must dial 10 digits – the area code plus the telephone number – for all local calls. Callers who dial seven digits will receive a recorded message instructing them to dial 10 digits.

A consumer session is set for Wednesday, Sept. 4, in Carson City to hear public comment regarding NV Energy’s application to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada that would, if approved, hike Northern Nevada customer monthly service charges and rates by 1.8 percent for electric and 11.08 percent for gas.

NV Energy has filed an application with the commission to adjust general rates charged to all classes of electric and gas customers, according to a news release.

Electric rates for NV Energy customers in Carson City and Northern Nevada would decrease by about 52 cents a month, according to a proposed rate adjustment. The public is invited to a consumer session Tuesday, July 2 to comment on the planned changes. The session is being hosted by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

NV Energy's application seeks approval of fuel and purchased power expenses for 2012 and to reset several renewable energy and energy efficiency program rates.

Beginning in June 2014 Nevadans will have a second area code to remember when dialing Southern Nevada. The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has approved a second area code of 725 in the same geographic region as the existing 702 exchange in Southern Nevada.

Southwest Gas customers can voice their opinion on the utility's annual rate adjustments on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in Carson City. A decrease in monthly bills by 3 cents in summer and 12 cents in winter is being proposed in Northern Nevada, according to the PUC.
Southern Nevada customers would see an increase of 5 cents and 14 cents, respectively.
If approved by the commission, the company proposes the rate changes take effect Jan. 1, 2013.

CARSON CITY — The Public Utilities Commission is promoting Lifeline Awareness Week, Sept. 10-16. Lifeline is a government benefit program supported by the Universal Service Fund that provides a discount on phone service for qualifying low-income consumers.
The Lifeline program helps to ensure eligible consumers have the opportunities and security that telephone service affords, including being able to connect to jobs, family and emergency services.
Staying connected to local resources and emergency services are vital to low-income and elderly residents, say state regulators.

Despite more than 10 years of outstanding service as a PUC senior economist, my friend Nevada Regent Ron Knecht was fired in March by the PUC bureaucrats, with no reason given and no announcement made.

This story was then intentionally leaked to the press, so that it would be reported just before voting started in Mr. Knecht’s primary re-election campaign. Ron won the primary handily, because voters are very aware his outstanding record, fine character, and dedication to public service.

CARSON CITY – Board of Regents candidate Ron Knecht confirmed today he was let go from his state job with the Public Utilities Commission in March, saying no cause was given despite his request for an explanation.

“I can’t tell you a lot,” he said. “I’m no longer working there.”

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Policy Research Institute’s Center for Justice and Constitutional Litigation has just filed an opposition brief maintaining that Sen. Mo Denis’ resignation from his executive-branch job does not moot Pojunis v. State of Nevada, et al., because of several well-established exceptions to the “mootness doctrine.”

Consumers wishing to contact the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada Consumer Division will find a more convenient process in 2012. The Consumer Division responds to consumer questions, concerns and complaints regarding utilities the PUCN regulates. Consumer Division staff is now available to handle telephone calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Regular office hours remain 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Following last week’s workshop to discuss issues and concerns related to Smart Meter deployment, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has asked NV Energy to submit proposals allowing ratepayers to opt-out of Smart Meter installation.

NV Energy must file its opt-out proposal by noon Wednesday, Dec. 28. People may file written reply comments by noon Friday, Jan. 13.

A trio of consumers got an early start in telling the state Public Utilities Commission that the installation of smart meters by Nevada Power Co. would result in higher electric rates for customers and especially hurt the elderly.

“With smart meters, rates will go up,’’ said Rana Goodman in an appearance before the commission Wednesday in Las Vegas.

The testimony came in advance of a workshop by the PUC on Dec. 6 in Carson City on the smart meter issues.

As part of its investigation into NV Energy’s Smart Meters program and its implementation, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has scheduled a workshop at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the PUCN’s Las Vegas office, 9075 West Diablo Drive, Suite 250, with videoconferencing to the Commission’s Carson City office, 1150 East William St.

NV Energy began installing Smart Meters in southern Nevada earlier this year. NV Energy is scheduled to start its second phase of installation in northern Nevada in December. The statewide installation project is scheduled to be completed by December 2012.

Gov. Brian Sandoval on Friday named two members of the Public Utilities Commission.He reappointed Rebecca Wagner, saying her work on the commission "has been grounded in the law and well-reasoned."...

CARSON CITY – CARSON CITY – A bill seeking major reforms to Nevada’s campaign finance laws won approval from a Senate panel today after controversial provisions requiring a two-year cooling off period from lobbying by former public officials were stripped from the measure.
Assembly Bill 452 was approved by the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee with Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Gardnerville, voting no.

While the Carson City Board of Supervisors are on track to ante up $75,000 this week to move the Nugget Project to the next phase, I'm finding that the more I dig into the details, the more the numbers don't seem to add up.

Specifically, I'm looking into part of the project that calls for getting three state agencies to lease space in this proposed 177,000 square foot development in downtown Carson City. I use the word "proposed" in a very loose sense here, since it's likely to change once P3 Development begins the real process of feasibility planning for this project. In fact, as I am writing this, there's a new story out from Northern Nevada Business Weekly quoting the developer that the office portion would be 175,000 square feet, with an additional 50,000 square feet of retail space, to go along with the 60,000 square feet for the library/business incubator/digital media lab portion of the project.