LETTERS: Solar purveyors must figure out how to compete

Tara Pike and Nick Nordstrom’s op-ed is more frivolous and far less factual than they claim (“PUC gets it wrong with solar ruling,” Thursday Review-Journal). They claim to have an NV Energy power line on their property, but have never sent the company a bill. That’s called an easement. Next, they said they never expected NV Energy to bill them for power they sent to the grid. Then don’t buy any, just go off the grid.

Aside from the fact NV Energy may or may not be able to use this random “excess” energy, where in a contract are the company’s fixed-price guarantees spelled out?

The authors state that NV Energy has wiped out Nevadans’ ability to produce their own power via rooftop solar. This is patently untrue; they still can and likely will. Rooftop solar was never a cost-effective technology. It exists solely because these installations were massively subsidized by the federal government (taxpayers) and NV Energy’s nonsolar customers. Even so, the net metering rate reduction from retail to a more realistic wholesale buyback should not prevent future solar installations. It simply extends the life cycle of a financial break-even point.

Ms. Pike and Mr. Nordstrom also alleged the old “bait-and-switch” gambit, claiming NV Energy promised 12,000 rooftop solar users nothing would ever change. Where is this written? Hundreds of thousands of us nonsolar customers would like the same deal.

What you never see in these arguments is the impact on Nevada’s lower-income population. How would a continued expansion of residential rooftop solar help them? It wouldn’t, and in fact, it causes them harm. They have no ability to participate, because they often rent their housing. Subsidized rooftop solar is meant for the more affluent, those with means who own homes.

It’s time solar purveyors figure out how to make their product competitive in the marketplace, and stop asking taxpayers and nonsolar users to fatten their bottom line.

Richard Rychtarik

Las Vegas

Equal protection

A hearty thank you and sincere congratulations for the editorial on the bacon incident at the local mosque (“Unequal protection,” Tuesday Review-Journal). Respect and tolerance must work two ways. Many Americans feel that the respect and tolerance demanded by some groups in this situation only goes one way. If this editorial reflects a new policy for the RJ, then keep up the good work.

Jack Corrick

Boulder City

School board vote

I would like to correct the article on the Clark County School Board’s meeting last week (“Board re-elects president,” Thursday Review-Journal). It states that I walked out of the meeting after Trustee Linda Young was re-elected as president of the School Board. After our leadership elections were completed, I did briefly leave the meeting — to go to the restroom. However, I returned to collaborate with my colleagues for the rest of the meeting, even making the motion to adjourn.

My colleagues and I are passionate about our work, but we keep our discussions civil, as we did during elections last week. Moving forward, I fully support President Young and the leadership team elected. Our School Board is not fixated on petty election politics. Rather, we are focused on the urgent need in our community to improve achievement for all students. Perhaps the RJ could do the same.

Carolyn Edwards

Las Vegas

— The writer is trustee for District F of the Clark County School District.

Refugee policy

People keep ranting about letting in illegal immigrants and Syrian refugees. They say that’s how America was built. True enough, but times have changed.

Ninety-nine percent of these refugees are indeed good people looking for a better life. But that 1 percent is trying to kill us. Do you think for one second that if the events of today were going on 150 or so years ago, these people would have been welcome in America? I don’t think so.

If you had 200 apples in a basket, and 199 were the best apples ever, but one of those apples was poisonous and would kill you, would you even eat one apple?

Robert Matusiewicz

Las Vegas