August 30, 2010

 Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today announced that Nevada will receive $83.1 million to protect and support the jobs of teachers, administrators and support professionals through the Education Jobs Fund.  Reid led the Senate in passing the Jobs Fund to protect 1,400 education jobs in Nevada and thousands more around the country.  Nevada was one of the first states in the nation to submit their application for these funds.

“I am pleased to announce on the first day of school for many Nevada students that the Silver State will receive more than $83 million to protect the jobs of educators,” Reid said.  “Thanks to the timely application submitted by the State of Nevada, and Secretary Duncan’s efforts to distribute these funds quickly, teachers and students can have the peace of mind and support they need to be successful in the classroom.”

 

Geothermal power company relocating to Reno

August 27, 2010

 Reno, NV- Nevada Senator Harry Reid today welcomed Gradient Resources to its new headquarters in Reno. The geothermal power company, formerly known as Vulcan Power, recently moved from Bend, Oregon, to Reno. The company has projects planned in Northern Nevada that will generate nearly 1,000 construction jobs and 80 permanent jobs. Their developments will result in an additional 200 megawatts of geothermal energy coming online between 2011 and 2014.  Reid welcomed the company to the Silver State at the ribbon cutting for its new headquarters.
 
"Projects like this are exactly what we had in mind when we passed the Economic Recovery Act," said Nevada Senator Harry Reid. "I applaud Gradient's move to Nevada and look forward to working with them as we continue to take advantage of tax incentives that are helping us put Nevadans back to work and diversify the economy."

 

Geothermal power company relocating to Reno

August 27, 2010

 Reno, NV- Nevada Senator Harry Reid today welcomed Gradient Resources to its new headquarters in Reno. The geothermal power company, formerly known as Vulcan Power, recently moved from Bend, Oregon, to Reno. The company has projects planned in Northern Nevada that will generate nearly 1,000 construction jobs and 80 permanent jobs. Their developments will result in an additional 200 megawatts of geothermal energy coming online between 2011 and 2014.  Reid welcomed the company to the Silver State at the ribbon cutting for its new headquarters.
 
"Projects like this are exactly what we had in mind when we passed the Economic Recovery Act," said Nevada Senator Harry Reid. "I applaud Gradient's move to Nevada and look forward to working with them as we continue to take advantage of tax incentives that are helping us put Nevadans back to work and diversify the economy."

 

August 27, 2010

 Reno, NV—Nevada Senator Harry Reid today announced $95,000 to help update the airport layout plan for the Tonopah Airport. This airport is a general aviation airport and is important to Nye County for private air transport and cargo. This funding will help the airport address what kind of development challenged the facility will face in the future and update the layout plan, which has not been updated in more than 10 years.

“I am glad the FAA has recognized the need to plan for growth at the Tonopah Airport. One of the most important resources for a rural area like Tonopah is its general aviation airport,” said Reid. “This airport allows easier access to Tonopah and surrounding parts of Nye County, the third largest county in the nation. This funding will allow the airport to safely meet the needs of pilots and travelers in Tonopah for decades to come.”

 

Recovery Act funds new senior living facility, creates jobs

August 26, 2010

Las Vegas, NV—Nevada Senator Harry Reid today cut the ribbon at the grand opening celebration of the Lake View Senior Living Community in Boulder City. This project was funded by the Recovery Act through the U.S. Department of Agriculture loan guarantee programs.  The new facility has 66 units and has created jobs for 35 people.  Reid was joined by the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan as they toured the new building with its developers.

 “This new facility benefits Nevada seniors by providing a clean, safe living community, and benefits Nevada's economy by putting 35 Nevadans back to work,” Reid said.  "In Nevada, the Recovery Act has created or saved nearly 30,000 jobs – and as more projects like this get underway, it will put even more Nevadans back to work.  This facility is a perfect example of what happens when we invest in projects that are designed to create jobs and get our state's economy back on track.”
 

 

August 25, 2010

 Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today gave the keynote address at the United States Air Force Forum on Clean Energy. Reid was joined at the forum by the Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton.  The Air Force's forum brought together leaders from the Department of Defense, the energy industry, as well as state and federal officials to discuss the military’s role in making Nevada the leader in clean energy, and improving America's security through energy independence. Reid’s prepared remarks are included below.

 “Thank you, Under Secretary Conaton.  And I appreciate Secretary Donley’s leadership in arranging this important forum on behalf of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. As many of you know, I believe this is a discussion that is long overdue and one that is more urgent than ever given our country’s significant energy challenges.  

“The kind of energy we use, how much of it we use and the sources we use to get it are as central to our national security as any other issue.  It’s about making sure you can do your jobs to protect us, and it’s about making sure we build a foundation for the jobs of the future – the jobs that will help our economy recover.

“I’m also glad – but not surprised – that the Secretary chose Las Vegas for this event.  There isn’t a better place to have this conversation than right here in Nevada. This state has some of the nation’s richest solar and geothermal energy resources – enough to power the nation several times over.   

“Nevada, of course, is home to the crown jewel of the Air Force’s training and flight-testing mission: Nellis Air Force Base.  Just a few miles from here, more than 31,000 personnel and dependents live and work.  They carry out incredible and incredibly important missions.  We are also home to Creech Air Force base, the Fallon Naval Air Station, Hawthorne Army Depot, and more than 3,000 soldiers and Airmen in the Nevada National Guard.

“The men and women who serve at these bases are doing an outstanding job defending our country.  I have worked hard as the Senate Majority Leader to give them the resources and support they need to perform their service, and do so as safely and successfully as possible.

“I have also long recognized that our military has a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to play a leading role in making the United States a clean energy leader.  The military is not only a top innovator and consumer of new technologies, but it also the single largest consumer of energy in the United States.  

“As you probably know, the Defense Department buys more oil than anyone else in the world.  DOD is responsible for about 80 percent of the government’s total energy consumption.  We’re talking more than a hundred million barrels of oil every year and billions of kilowatt-hours of electricity.  The Department’s energy bill easily tops $10 billion every year.  These are some of the costs of using last century’s energy resources.  

“The President and Secretary Gates are as determined as I am to turn that around.  Congress set aside significant funding in the Recovery Act and provided detailed direction in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to move us in the right direction.

“Not surprisingly, you’re holding up your end of the bargain.  You’re following through on your commitment to use energy more efficiently, to use cleaner alternatives and to integrate clean-energy technologies in your operations at facilities and in the field.

“The Air Force is ahead of the curve.  You were flying B-52s with hybrid fuels four years ago.  We need you to keep leading like that.  We need you to keep setting a good example for the nation on how to use energy.

“Last year, the President and I visited the 14-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant at Nellis.  That facility is one of Nevada’s first three utility-scale solar plants, and the largest of its kind in North America.  It is a tremendous example of the Air Force leading the way.  The Fallon Naval Air Station in Nevada isn’t far behind – it is exploring its geothermal resources and will hopefully have a new power plant soon.  

“This is a really good start, but there is a whole lot more we can and should do to address our critical energy challenges.  We still have to more aggressively deploy clean, renewable energy at DOD facilities here at home and in forward operating areas around the world.

“As many of you know, fixed defense installations in the United States are 99-percent dependent on the commercial power grid and other critical national energy infrastructure.  But that infrastructure is often fragile.  That poses serious risks to critical missions and assets – risks we can’t afford.  On-base or near-base renewable energy generation and storage can significantly reduce those risks and help bring down long-term costs.      

“Today’s conference is an important step forward toward addressing those challenges.  It’s equally important that we use this opportunity to create jobs and reduce civilian energy costs and pollution.

“Deploying renewable energy projects near military bases, especially Air Force bases, has been challenging for some time.  I have thought for many years that we could benefit from a more collaborative and transparent process to ensure that these projects and economic development would happen without interfering with the Pentagon’s mission.

“It’s important that we get this right.  As our nation uses more and more renewable energy, much of that investment will take place in the wide open spaces of the West, places like Nevada, places where the military has some of its most important assets.

“Last month, Energy Secretary Chu and Interior Secretary Salazar joined me here to announce the Solar Demonstration Zone at what used to be called the Nevada Test Site – now the Nevada National Security Site.  I hope the Air Force and other Defense agencies will work with the Energy Department on this site to better understand clean energy technologies, and to improve military systems and renewable energy projects compatibility.  

“Working together to solve our energy problems now will make us more secure and better prepared in the future.  But the longer we wait, the more dependent we are on oil – especially foreign oil – and the more pollution we spew into the air, the less safe we are.  

“That makes it important for all of us – renewable energy developers, electric utilities, manufacturers, federal agencies and the U.S. military – to do everything we can to make today the first day of the new clean energy economy.  

“The Air Force is one of the reasons that day will come soon.  You used to ask recruits to “Cross into the Blue.”  Now your nation needs you to help us cross into the green.  Our national security and economic security are both at stake.

“I look forward to working with you so our energy leadership can match our military leadership, and make it – like you – the best in the world.”

 

Site now known as Nevada National Security Site

August 23, 2010

 Las Vegas, NV—Nevada Senator Harry Reid today joined with the National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Congresswomen Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus, and other federal officials to announce the renaming and new expanded mission of the Nevada Test Site. The Site has been renamed to the Nevada National Security Site (N2S2) to reflect the diversity of activities associated with detecting weapons, weapons nonproliferation, arms control agreement compliance, and expanded training activities that the site will be used for. Reid has supported efforts to modernize N2S2’s mission as well as the jobs of 3,000 men and women who work at the site as highly skilled engineers and scientists.  Reid’s prepared remarks are included below.

“As we establish a new name and a new mission today, we’re inaugurating a new way to keep Nevada and our nation safe.

“For a long time our state has played an enormous role in keeping weapons out of the hands of those who want to do us harm.  We are a key piece of the nonproliferation puzzle, and a key player in the efforts to respond rapidly to national emergencies.

“N2S2 will also be a key part of our economic recovery.  This site and these changes aren’t only about national security.  They’re also about economic security, and job security.  N2S2 will protect Nevadans, and it will help put them back to work.

“This site was once a critical battlefield of the Cold War.  For decades it served as our nuclear proving ground.  To many Nevadans, the Nevada Test Site was a secretive place in the middle of the desert, the mysterious grounds where the world’s most dangerous weapons were tested.

“It served a vital mission, but that mission is over.  After the Berlin Wall fell and the nuclear tests slowed, so did jobs and funding.

“We’re going to turn those trends around.  Our country is at a turning point.  Our nuclear and national security efforts need to rise to our new challenges, and Nevada is once again going to take the lead. This site will now be the center of our fight against terrorism and nuclear smuggling.  It will be on the front lines of our intelligence, arms control and nonproliferation efforts.  It will even help us reverse the dangers of the climate crisis and help protect our precious environment.

“The Nevada National Security Site is the perfect laboratory to achieve these goals.  It is large, remote and uniquely secure – and it’s close enough to Las Vegas and towns in Nye County to attract a highly qualified workforce.  So many Nevadans are eager to get back to work as soon as they can find a good job, and many of those good jobs are going to be right here.

“Changing this site’s name doesn’t just mean a new logo, and its new mission isn’t just words on a piece of paper.  We’re going to back them up with real investments.

“I’m proud to announce that we’re well positioned to invest $40 million in this new mission next year.  Administrator D’Agostino’s roadmap will guide the new work here at N2S2, and I will continue working hard to expand opportunities for the site, for all of you and for the many more Nevadans who will soon work here.

“A strong nation means a strong Nevada, and a strong Nevada means a strong nation.  More than anywhere else, those truths are proven day in and day out right here at the Nevada National Security Site.

‘There are a lot of changes happening around here, but I know one thing won’t change a bit:  That’s your commitment to working hard here every day to serve your country and keep it safe.”

 

Recovery Act funding will improve computing connectivity and capacity

August 20, 2010

Las Vegas, NV-- Nevada Senator Harry Reid today announced $1.2 million in funding through the Economic Recovery Act to improve cyber network speeds, connectivity and capacity within the Nevada System of Higher Education.

“Strong connectivity is essential for our educational institutions to cooperate and stay competitive,” said Reid. “By improving connectivity we can link Nevada universities and K-12 schools and improve research and education.  Broadband access will also provide Nevadans with other important opportunities such as distance education, telemedicine instruction, and economic development.”

The award will also enable Nevada to make major improvements to NevadaNet, the high-speed telecommunications infrastructure that provides connectivity to remote areas, rural centers, small colleges and regional universities, Native American tribes and peoples, and persons with disabilities.

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Infrastructure Improvement Program. Senator Reid supported an increase of this program’s funding during the FY 2010 appropriations process.

 

Project to create more than 1,000 jobs while making Nevada the nation's clean energy leader

August 20, 2010

 Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today made the following statement on the news that NV Energy and LS Power have finalized their agreement to jointly construct and own a transmission line between northern and southern Nevada. Funding for the One Nevada Transmission Line is made available through a provision Sen. Reid inserted in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“This is good news on a day Nevada needed it. The One Nevada Transmission Line is an important project that will create more than a thousand good-paying jobs, starting with construction jobs when it breaks ground later this year. I applaud NV Energy and LS Power for working together to reach an agreement that will create jobs, diversify Nevada’s economy, and bring us closer to energy independence. Nevada is blessed with an abundance of clean energy resources and the only way we can take full advantage of them is to create a system that allows us to move that energy from the remote parts of our state where it is developed to the population centers where it is needed. I look forward to working with these two companies in the days and months ahead to break ground and get Nevada working again.”