Because our energy bills are increasing, it’s tempting to place the blame on the proliferation of green energy, which some may feel has not reduced energy costs as expected.

In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on the current state of knowledge about climate change. Its March 2023 report clearly says we must divest our energy production from carbon polluting fossil fuels if we are to reduce the worst impacts of climate change, and it’s recognized the transition is hampered by many obstacles. 

We can increase our use of renewable energy if we decrease our appetite for fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. Companies that profit from this demand have shown time and again they are only too ready to increase the costs of anything that depends on petroleum or natural gas, which contributes to rate increases by our local energy companies. Not only are we subservient to Big Oil, other countries such as Saudi Arabia can decrease oil production at will and thereby affect the price we pay for importing their petroleum.

This is not because of green energy. Global market conditions show that costs for fossil fuels are increasing dramatically, with petroleum, for example, now over $90 per barrel. Market issues are in play, with greed a likely collaborating force. 

Solar power is accused of being unreliable because production decreases in the evening often when power demand is still high. Net metering is required for a solar customer to stay connected to NV Energy’s electric grid so that the customer is never without power regardless of the weather. Any excess energy solar panels produce on sunny days goes back to the power company. This allows the solar customer to draw on that returned energy to meet their demands when their panels are not producing.

This past summer, most solar customers probably had to pay only the required basic service charge, which allows them to stay connected to the grid, and many would likely have sufficient excess returned energy to cover some nights and cloudy days.

So let’s stop blaming the necessary transition to renewable energy and recognize what is actually at fault: Continuing consumer demand for fossil fuels, resistance of energy companies and global market conditions. We must demand that energy companies accelerate the move toward cheaper, greener energy. If a price were to be levied on carbon emissions, it would pressure polluters to reduce them and invest instead in innovative carbon capture technologies and production of renewables.

Economics 101 tells us if you want to reduce the consumption, or in this case production of a commodity, make it more expensive. If carbon polluters had to pay for their emissions and the money collected returned to Americans as cash-back rebates, it would help us to deal better with the transition.

As evidenced by the intensifying catastrophic weather conditions, there is no time to waste. Here in Nevada, our two major cities are heating faster than others elsewhere, helping to intensify drought conditions and worsening the impacts for all city residents and our rural communities, too.

Our lives and our planet are at stake.

Rita Ransom is a resident of Las Vegas and member of the Citizens' Climate Lobby.