Past Pages from Feb. 6, 2012: Tough trick: Estimating need for renewables

State law requires that a steadily growing percentage of the power sold by Nevada utilities — 15 percent today, 25 percent in 2025 — must come from renewable sources.
Simple enough, right?
Not in a time of big economic change in the state, when once-rapid growth in electric demand has slowed to distinctly modest levels.
Utility executives and regulators know the law says that 18 percent of the electricity sold in the state in 2013 and 2014 will
need to come from renewable sources. But the question any- more is this: 18 percent of what?
And the question is all the trickier because some sources of renewable energy — notably, some solar technologies — cost more than traditional coal- or gas-fired plants to produce electricity.
NV Energy needs to contract with some of those higher-cost producers to meet the requirements of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, but it doesn’t want to burden customers with the costs of high-priced electricity.
So the question — 18 percent of what? — has implications for developers of geothermal, solar, wind and biomass plants across Nevada.
 

— Page 1, by John Seelmeyer

 
Birds of a feather in corporate aviation find homes at airport 
The push to grow companies specializing in corporate aviation services at Reno Tahoe International airport continues to find its wings.
Companies that provide services to high-end corporate jet aircraft, from structural repairs to custom interiors and fueling, continue to lease space near the airport.
In 2011, two companies, SAI Inc. and Aeroshear Aviation Services began ramping up operations to serve the corporate aviation sector. They join Western Jet Aviation (2010), Million
Air Interlink (2010) and Dassault Aircraft Services (2009).
Million Air is expected break ground in this spring on a new $23 million Class A terminal facility to serve as a non- commercial gateway to the Reno-Sparks market, says Tina Iftiger, vice president of airport economic development. The
new facility, as well as the continued growth of the corporate aviation cluster, not only brings new businesses to the area but provides crucial exposure for northern Nevada to well-heeled jetsetters, Iftiger says.

— Page 1, by Rob Sabo

 

Third-party provider of Web logistics opening in Sparks
Joseph DiSorbo, chief executive officer of Webgistix, walked through an utterly empty warehouse at 974 United Circle in Sparks last week, mentally picturing the locations of racks and conveyer belts.
Only one desk and two chairs sat in the office. Internet cables — DiSorbo’s first priori- ty after his company leased the building — dangled from ceilings.
But in barely more than six weeks, DiSorbo expects that a brand-new team of workers will making their first shipments from the Webgistix distribution center.
The 70,000-square-foot facility marks further development of the Reno area’s growing presence in the business of e-fulfillment — filling online orders placed by individual consumers.

—Page 3, by John Seelmeyer

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we feature snippets of stories that published a decade ago to provide readers a 10-year perspective of business news in the region. This week’s stories first published in the Feb. 6, 2012, edition of the NNBW.