Solar Politics In Nevada

Utility Dive's Editor, Gavin Bade, is covering the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) conference in Nashville, Tennessee this week and writes about a speech given by Nevada PUC Commissioner, David Noble, who headed up Nevada's net-metering proceedings and who was not reappointed by Governor Sandoval.  I am sorry to see Nevada lose a good commissioner who, in trying to make good regulatory decisions based on facts, stood up to toxic personalities like the fired and ousted Bryan Miller, the former Senior Vice President of Public Policy for Sunrun and former spokesperson for The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC). 

Bade reports:

While press reports and solar lobbyists painted the decision as a “disastrous” for the rooftop industry, Noble said it was the solar industry that failed to constructively engage with the regulatory process. 

“One of the problems in the case before us is the rooftop solar companies decided to take an approach of an all-or-nothing, and basically promoted that there should be no change from retail rates,” he told fellow regulators. “When you take an all-or-nothing approach there's a possibility you're going to lose and that's exactly what happened because they put on an inferior case.” 

While Noble said he would have made the comments regardless, Utility Dive learned Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) will not reappoint him to another term at the end of this year — a fact the governor’s office confirmed to Utility Dive this morning. 

“I just caution all commissioners to listen to all sides but be very wary,” Noble said. “Words are one thing, actions are another.”

Commissioner Noble gives the backstory to the Nevada solar-net metering proceedings.  A must read for people who want to hear a different perspective than the aggressive, scripted and coordinated political positions of these types of businesses and organizations like TASC, which are self-serving.