Peppermill files notice to leave NV Energy
Another hotel casino operator is planning to leave NV Energy and acquire electricity elsewhere.
Peppermill Casinos, Inc., notified the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada that it wants to leave NV Energy. The owner of the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno is seeking to “purchase energy, capacity, and/or ancillary services from a provider of new electric resources” according to a filing with the PUC dated July 14.
The resort first filed a letter of intent to leave the utility on June 7, Dean Parker, executive facilities director, told the Reno Gazette-Journal on Monday. Parker described the letter as the first step in a process that “is expected to take months to complete.”
“During this process, state regulators will determine appropriate terms and conditions pursuant to state statute to ensure that The Peppermill’s departure is just and reasonable,” Parker said. “Any cost that The Peppermill is responsible for will remain The Peppermill’s responsibility.”
The Peppermill joins Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas as the latest Nevada hotel casino operator to request the PUC about leaving the state’s leading power provider — a decision that entails paying a hefty exit fee. Las Vegas Sands Corp., also sought to leave NV Energy but balked after being required to pay nearly $24 million to do so.
SuperNAP operator Switch, which is planning to build the largest data center in the world at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, also wanted to leave NV Energy but was denied by the PUC. Switch then filed a lawsuit against the PUC and NV Energy last Tuesday, alleging that the state agency’s decision is unconstitutional and that the company was “denied its right to a fair hearing.” Switch also said that the PUC’s denial gives it no alternative path to acquiring 100 percent renewable energy at lower rates.
The Peppermill also mentioned renewable energy when asked about its intent to leave NV Energy, touting its $9.7 million investment in on-site geothermal heat generation.
