During his National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, Senator Harry Reid demanded NV Energy close the Reid Gardner plant near Moapa Valley. Without the slightest bit of evidence, he says the plant is killing nearby residents.
Again, for Reid — the truth tends to be a tricky thing.
For one thing, Reid Gardner is one of the cleanest coal-fueled power plants in the U.S., with the number of visible emissions incidences dropping from 825 in 2005 to only 7 in 2011. Electricity produced by the plant is also up to 4 times less expensive than “green” energy sources.
Meanwhile, Reid Gardner doesn’t operate for the first five months of the year. It’s usually only in service during peak usage periods which is in summer.
It has the ability to generate 557 megawatts of electricity, all-day, all-night, everyday of the year. Compare that to Reid’s solar project at Nellis Air Force Base — with an output of only 14 megawatts.
The plant can produce enough electricity to serve about 335,000 Nevada households. Plus NV Energy provides around $34 million in annual tax revenue from the plants operation for Clark County.
Finally, by closing Reid Gardner, another 150 jobs will be lost. This, on top of an already nation-leading 12-percent unemployment, is something Nevada cannot afford.
It’s obvious Reid doesn’t have Nevada’s interest at heart.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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