NCET

Poor perception among out-of-state companies continues to be a key challenge for Northern Nevada, and limited resources and a bad economy have hampered the area’s branding efforts, an international business consultant said Thursday.

Still, the area has done a relatively good job in promoting economic development in the past few years given its resource deficit and the tough economic environment, said Mark Sweeney, senior principal for Greenville, S.C.-based site-selection firm McCallum Sweeney Consulting. Read full story:

The U.S. Green Building Council, home of the LEED Rating System, released its Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings, and Nevada has earned the number one spot. The list was based on USGBC data as well as data obtained during the 2010 Census. Nevada’s 10.92 square feet of LEED certified space per person earned that state the top ranking.

“Using per capita, versus the more traditional numbers of projects, or pure square footage, is a reminder to all of us that the people who live and work, learn and play in buildings should be what we care about most,” said USGBC SVP of LEED, Scot Horst. “2010 was a difficult year for most of the building industry, but in many areas, the hunger for sustainable development kept the markets moving.” Source: USGBC

There are several notable LEED certified projects in Nevada, including the massive CityCenter in Las Vegas. The hotel, shopping and entertainment complex holds six LEED Gold certifications.

Nevada’s 10.92 square feet of LEED space per capita is quite a bit more than the second-place New Mexico’s 6.35 square feet.

Three of the area’s primary business organizations have taken a page from the companies they work with, announcing plans to pursue a merger as a way to consolidate resources and improve efficiency.

Emulating the productivity-boosting and cost-cutting measures typically applied by businesses during tough economic times, The Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Nevada Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada announced the formation of

atransition committee. The goal is to a complete merger within a year. Read full story:

Ormat Technologies, Inc. was successful in bringing its 15 MW Jersey Valley geothermal power plant online. Jersey Valley was the only utility-scale geothermal plant completed in the U.S. this past year, providing additional renewable energy to northern Nevada’s electricity grid. The plant is currently in commissioning, operating at partial load with final completion expected in the second quarter.

"We are proud with the accomplishments of this project," said Yoram Bronicki, President and Chief Operating Officer of Ormat. "We were able to implement innovative power plant solutions and complete the construction a short time after all permits were granted." Read full story:

The Bureau of Land Management will be giving increased priority to 19 renewable energy projects in the West this year, including four in Nevada.

The move is part of attempts to diversify the nation’s energy portfolio in an environmentally responsible manner, said Bob Abbey, BLM director. The classification, which was made in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, will help speed up the development of the utility-scale projects on the list.

"The process of screening for priority projects is about focusing our staff and resources on the most promising renewable energy projects," Abbey said in a statement. Read full story: