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In business UTILITIES energy senate bill seeks to add layer of government regulation over snwa champion of renewable energy steps down By Andrew Doughman staff writer CARSON CITY — Usually it's not the Republican who calls for more government. But Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Henderson, has proposed adding another layer of government oversight over the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The issue is who decides how much you pay for water in Clark County. Right now, a chain of local officials approves rate hikes for the water authority through what Roberson calls a politicized "rubber stamp" process. During a hearing at the Legislature on April 1, he championed Senate Bill 232, which would funnel all of the water authority's rate hike requests through the government utility regulators at the state's Public Utilities Commission rather than have local elected officials make the call. "We need to try to take politics out of it as much as possible and look at the facts and have people who analyze these things for a living, who make rates for a living, who can look at it in a nonpolitical way and say, 'What's fair here?' " Roberson said in during an interview last month. Energy experts at the Public Utilities Commission already regulate NV Energy and other regu- lated monopolies that are beholden to ratepayers and shareholders. An unavoidable increase in debt payments hits the water authority in 2016, adding urgency and palpable consequences to how the ratemaking process will play out in just a few years. Pat Mulroy, executive director of the water authority, said the move would be unconstitutional because it would violate existing bond contracts. She has met with Roberson to try to find a way to add more transparency and more public comment time to the ratemaking process. Calling Roberson's idea a "square peg in a round hole," she said the utilities commission oversees regulated monopolies like NV Energy, not a public utility like the water authority. Members of the utilities commission, though, addressed the bill last week during a meeting and did not state any major concerns with the proposal. "If they're just wanting to present the total cost and we figure out and create a design, that's real simple," David Noble, a PUC commissioner, said at a March 27 meeting of the commission. "If it's simply ratemaking, that's something that we can easily do." 4 By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer Walt Borland, who has served as the president and CEO of the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization since 2011, stepped down early this month. Borland said he will continue to support the nonprofit organization and its efforts as an executive-inresidence, a role he had prior to being named president and CEO. In his role with NIREC, Borland was a liaison to the Governor's Office of Economic Development, the U.S. Economic Development Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Energy. He has worked to expand education programs in renewable energy at the state's universities in an effort to commercialize projects developed by entrepreneurs. Borland said he plans to devote more time to charitable and entrepreneurial pursuits. Representatives of NIREC have not said how they will fill the president and CEO vacancy. "Walt has been instrumental in developing new programs at NIREC while actively pursuing innovationbased economic development efforts for the state," Ian Rogoff, chairman of NIREC's board of trustees, said in a news release. Minimum number of best news website awards a media company should win before you log on. Leach, Kats, Chareunsy, Coolican, Brewer, Velotta, Spotleson, Bern Tune in at 7 a.m. Mondays on KUNV 91.5 for the latest in gaming, tourism and real estate news. VISIT VEGASINC.COM FOR PAST EPISODES AND MORE BUSINESS NEWS. Pulitzer | Dupont | EPPY | General Excellence 16 | 15 APRIL 2013 | VEGASINC RADIO 07515_VINC_RadioHouse_AD_c2.indd 1 20130415_VI16_F.indd 16 8/29/12 9:10 AM 4/11/13 2:58:11 PM