$138 Million Stimulus Grant to IBEW-Represented
Nevada Utility
November 5, 2009
 On October 27, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced a $138 million grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to NV Energy to implement smart grid technologies in his state.
On October 28, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis visited Las Vegas to introduce details of the grant. Las Vegas Local 396 Business Manager Charles Randall was present at the event.
“This means jobs,” says Randall, who is in discussions with NV Energy pushing for installations of more than one million meters to be performed by union contractors. While there is a window of three to five years to complete the smart meter conversions, the local union also will negotiate to move 80 meter readers—who will lose their jobs—to other positions.
NV Energy will match the federal grant with another $160 million to create a highly efficient electricity and natural gas delivery system.
The local is also hopeful that NV will be investing in a new transmission line.
More than 1,000 IBEW members work for NV Energy (formerly Nevada Power) in southern Nevada, represented by Las Vegas Local 396. Another 800 members work for the company in northern Nevada (formerly Sierra Pacific Power) and are represented by Vacaville, Calif., Local 1245.
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