LETTERS: Governor doing wrong by rooftop solar owners

Sandoval and PUC

Regarding the article on the new net metering rate structure for rooftop solar owners (“PUC OKs new solar rates,” Dec. 23 Review-Journal), let’s look at this and see what’s really going on. Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval is a former attorney general, two of the governor’s advisers are lobbyists for NV Energy, and all three members of the Public Utilities Commission were appointed by Gov Sandoval.

Is this all a coincidence? No, this is a blatant attempt to kill the solar industry just when it starts to gain traction. I, too, was enticed and encouraged to buy solar with rebates from NV Energy. The company didn’t tell me that if I did so, it could reduce my earned credits to a pitiful wholesale rate and raise my connection fees so that I would end up paying more for electricity than without solar. Gov. Sandoval and NV Energy conveniently never brought that up.

I was told that purchasing rooftop solar would save me money, help the environment and would create jobs. All of this has now been swept off the table. This is known as a bait-and-switch. Gov. Sandoval refuses to even raise a hand in defense of his constituents at this obvious injustice. This passes as governing? As leadership? Allowing thousands of jobs to evaporate overnight and penalizing those who’ve bought solar and wanted to do the right thing?

Concessions were made to bring in a Tesla battery facility, and now Faraday Future will build electric cars, but how will all these cars be powered? Not by solar, but by a new power plant brought to you by NV Energy and paid for by everyone else. Of course, that will mean rates need to go up to pay for more infrastructure and transmission lines, etc. Rooftop solar already is the infrastructure, using existing power lines. It won’t cost my neighbors a penny.

I hope the Department of Justice or some other entity investigates this outrageous and willful abuse of power with a distinct odor of cronyism. Some 10 years ago, we had members of the Las Vegas City Council elbows-deep in special interests’ pockets. As the saying in the commercial goes, Gov. Sandoval, “What’s in your wallet?” Also, what’s in your texts and emails between NV Energy, your aides and the Public Utilities Commission? Transparency is paramount from elected officials, and these are public documents.

Gov. Sandoval’s bio says he developed the state’s first Public Integrity Unit. The net metering issue will show if he’s an active member or not. Now is the time to be the right governor at the right time in history. Own this. Because come election time, I and many thousands more will remember what you did or did not do.

Anthony Vanderveldt

Las Vegas

Media slant

Liberal heads are exploding all over Las Vegas at the news that Sheldon Adelson purchased the Review-Journal. Though small in number, their voices are loud as they decry the unfairness of it all. They are so afraid that, with Mr. Adelson’s ownership, there will be no “balance” in news reporting.

Gee, where’s the balance in the Las Vegas Sun? For that matter, where’s the balance in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post and the vast majority of all newspapers? Where is the balance and fairness in television networks such as NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC and lately, even nonnews outlets such as ESPN?

It is apparently not sufficient that Las Vegas liberals have the Sun insert in the R-J, where they can read all things progressive. I suggest they get together, pool their money and buy gift subscriptions to the Sun and distribute the same to friends, so it can become an entity independent from the Review-Journal. Then, those fair and balanced commentators Steve Sebelius and John L. Smith can be hired away, and Las Vegas liberals won’t be forced to read anything contrary to their deeply held beliefs.

Dave Downer

Henderson

Balanced content

I have been reading both Las Vegas newspapers since we moved here about six months ago. I stopped reading the Sun because the editorial section was 99.7 percent slanted to the far left. I have found the Review-Journal to be about 71 percent slanted to the left. Does the new management plan on changing that lean? A 50/50 balance between left and right content would be unbelievably fair and interesting.

Tom Sled

Henderson

Adelson’s will

The editorial calling for the abolishment of the Employee-Management Relations Board seems quite timely considering the news that Sheldon Adelson is the new owner of the newspaper (“Biased body,” Dec. 17 Review-Journal). It certainly didn’t take the R-J long to figure out what Mr. Adelson wants.

Michael Henderson

Las Vegas