Peppermill Resort in Reno wants to leave NV Energy
CARSON CITY — The Peppermill Resort in Reno has filed an application to exit as a retail customer of NV Energy and acquire its own electricity on the wholesale market.
The resort hotel-casino filed its application with the Nevada Public Utilities Commission on July 12 and wants to leave Sierra Pacific, NV Energy’s northern Nevada company, by March 1.
The Peppermill application follows applications from three Las Vegas hotel casinos and the data storage company Switch seeking to leave the utility as retail customers as provided for in a measure passed by the 2001 Legislature.
The Peppermill application says the company plans to obtain its electricity from Cargill Power Markets based in Minnesota.
Two Las Vegas companies, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts are leaving as of Oct. 1 as retail customers of Nevada Power, NV Energy’s Southern Nevada company.
Switch, which saw its exit application denied by the PUC last year, recently filed a federal lawsuit against state regulators and NV Energy over the denial. Switch was the first company in years to seek to leave the power company.
The original intent of the 2001 law was to lessen pressures on electricity rates during an energy crisis that was occurring at the time. Those circumstances no longer exist. Large companies that exit now are expected to be able to negotiate their own favorable rates for power.
Staff with the PUC will process the application and determine the amount of the fee that will be required from the company to exit. The fee is intended to protect remaining utility customers.
Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801