A delegation from OPD5 traveled to Carson City last week to meet with legislators at the State Capitol and advocate for ratepayers in the Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley communities. A group of the district’s management team, along with one OPD5 board member, joined with more than two dozen colleagues from other rural power utilities across the state to participate in Public Power Day at the State Legislature. The event was organized by the Nevada Rural Electric Association (NREA).
OPD5 Interim CEO/General Manager MeLisa Garcia, along with other rural electric chief executives from around the state, met with State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro to discuss the unique needs of small electric utilities across Nevada. The group urged Cannizzaro to be mindful of impacts on rural communities when fashioning any new state energy policy during the session.
Garcia and OPD5 Engineering Manager Randall Ozaki sat with State Senator Rochelle Nguyen on the Senate floor during the morning session that day. Nguyen is the Chair of the Senate Growth and Infrastructure Committee which, among other things, discusses issues dealing with energy in the state.
OPD5 board member Mike Young, accompanied by Line Operations Manager Kyle Leavitt, met with State Assemblyman Toby Yurek who represents the OPD5 territory. Young acknowledged Yurek’s diligence in listening to and representing the local communities. He also urged Yurek to “remember us, little guys, in the rurals” when state energy policy is crafted. Yurek, who is a member of the Assembly Growth and Infrastructure Committee, pledged to keep an open communication with district leadership on these matters.
Ozaki, along with a delegation from Boulder City, spent time with State Senator Jeff Stone also discussing rural energy issues. Ozaki suggested that the NREA have some representation in the state’s process of awarding federal energy grant money; especially funding earmarked for rural areas.
This year’s NREA Public Power Day event was beneficial to the cause of rural utilities in the state, said Garcia.
“This was a very positive experience and well worth the efforts of being here,” she said. “We were able to forge and strengthen important relationships here at the legislature. And it also allowed us to get the message out about the unique challenges we face as rural utilities. So I believe it was tremendously valuable.”