Gibbon's energy plan a bright spot in dark times

Gov. Gibbons presented an energy plan to the Nevada Legislature on Tuesday that outlined ambitious goals for developing solar, wind and geothermal energy, and drawing job-creating energy companies to the state.

"We need to harness solar energy in Southern Nevada, harness geothermal energy in Northern Nevada and harness wind energy everywhere in between," Gibbons told the Senate Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee.

Nevada pays billions of dollars to import energy " money that, if it stayed in the state, could pump up to $10 billion into local economies, the governor told lawmakers.

Chairman Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, cautioned that the plan offered too much in the way of tax abatements for energy companies and related manufacturers. Being overly generous in efforts to draw those new businesses may be the equivalent of giving away the farm, he warned.

But those pot-sweeteners are necessary, the governor countered, to make Nevada an attractive destination amid tough competition from neighboring states.

Planning for a cleaner future and new jobs is a nice change from the seemingly endless discussions of which critical service will end up on the chopping block due to the budget crisis.

It's refreshing to hear from the governor a plan that moves this state in the right direction.