People seeking shade around the PUC building in southwest Las Vegas Tuesday as the afternoon temperature reached more than 105 degrees. (Image: Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition)
By:Dana Gentry-June 18, 20264:50 am
A new policy employed Tuesday by the Public Utilities Commission to keep the public waiting outdoors during consumer sessions is intended to thwart public comment on contentious utility issues, say the commission’s critics.
A line estimated at more than 100 snaked around the PUC building in southwest Las Vegas Tuesday as the afternoon temperature reached more than 105 degrees. An ambulance responded when a member of the public suffered a heat illness.
As speakers left the meeting room, security guards allowed several people in line to take their place inside, according to an attendee who reached out to the Current during the meeting.
“This is the first time in the 16 years I’ve been going to consumer sessions that they did this,” said Angel DeFazio, a regular attendee, who says having people “stand outside and run the risk of having heat stroke or heat exhaustion” was intended to dissuade public participation.
DeFazio complained at an earlier meeting about the PUC’s decision to hold just an afternoon session, rather than another in the evening when more people are able to attend. She says she was told the PUC wanted to avoid overtime.
PUC spokesman Peter Kostes did not address the commission’s decision to have only a daytime session, whether the arrangement meets the requirements of the state’s Open Meeting Law, why an overflow room remain closed, or if the PUC intends to limit attendance at an upcoming consumer session at the end of the month.
Kostes, however, said the PUC took measures to ensure public safety.
“Recognizing the potential for a large turnout and the weather conditions on the morning of the consumer session, NV Energy provided four ice-filled coolers of cold water for attendees, and law enforcement maintained contact with emergency medical services throughout the afternoon in the event assistance was needed,” he said.
“We are asking the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to be accessible and accountable to the public they claim to serve,” Jackie Spicer of the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition said in a statement to the Current. “By leaving residents outside in triple-digit heat, including elders and people with health issues, the Commissioners are making it clear they do not care about residents.”
Spicer says the PUC’s “excuse” for limiting entry to 50 people at a time was to ensure adherence to the fire code.
“Typically, the PUCN opens an overflow conference room when large crowds show up. This year, the overflow room was full of police officers, not the public,” said Spicer. “They are effectively discouraging the public from raising our concerns.”
Kostes attributed the presence of police to protestors showing up at NV Energy and the PUC on Monday.
“During those events, approximately two commercial busloads of individuals arrived at the facilities, resulting in significant crowding in building lobbies, elevators, and common areas,” he said, adding the number of protestors “created concerns regarding building access, pedestrian movement, and emergency ingress and egress.”
NV Energy’s daily demand charge, which is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, was the reason many members of the public attended the consumer session.
Spicer said the PUC’s approval of the charge “ is a symptom of larger systemic problems in Nevada and a lack of accountability for investor-owned utility companies. Enough is enough. Working people cannot afford to test out NV Energy’s first-in-the-nation daily demand charge.
