Vegas should bet on clean energy

Spending time in Las Vegas gave me the opportunity, once again, to experience the power of the almighty dollar.

But I’m not talking about the game. Though the thunder of slot machines, the cries of anguish at craps, and the cold stares from packed blackjack tables are something to behold.

No, it’s Las Vegas’s thirst for electric power that makes me wonder. A massive voltage travels from the grid to the various mini-cities on the Strip, like the new Palazzo hotel resort, which with the Venetian has around 8,000 rooms. That energy flows into the MGM Grand, Caesar’s Palace, the Flamingo, and all the rest. The air conditioning bill alone would crush a third world country. Throw in the rest of the operations, high-definition billboards, and lighting that can be seen from the space shuttle, and it’s enough to keep Nevada Power Co. one of the most stable and profitable investments of all time.

But imagine this: What if Vegas went big for alternative energy and energy efficiency? It’s a risk, for sure. But where else can you gamble on a Wizard of Oz slot, get beer, and take a break just 10 steps away? Vegas thrives on risk.

And while energy efficiency renovations have proven their worth, renewables still have a way to go. For example, Devon Swezey of Forbes predicts a cleantech collapse. “The reason is simple,” Swezey writes. “Clean energy is still much more expensive and less reliable than coal or gas.”

And the economy bites down, subsidies are dying, and public sector budgets look like a two-egg breakfast left overnight in the corridor of the Paris. And that?

That’s really not what drives the industry right now. For example, go out on the Las Vegas Strip and breathe the air. Accompanying the constant stale stench of fried food, the atmosphere of public urination, sweat, and other gross stuff is a healthy dose of contamination. That is not fresh air. And it’s not just Las Vegas.

The truth is that the air is unpleasant in most big cities. Sure, beautiful Fresno has some of the worst. I was introduced to asthma here. Nothing like that, especially in the long term. You might as well get punched in the face. That comes at a cost. Coal and gas can be cheap per kilowatt, but that energy becomes very expensive simply times the 100 million people who go to pharmacies for allergy-related illnesses.

And then there’s the whole carbon debate. Fox News may be trying to sidestep the problem, but it’s pretty clear that we have a serious problem.

“Here’s the truth: the Earth is round; Saddam Hussein did not attack us on September 11; Elvis is dead; Obama was born in the United States; and the climate crisis is real. It is time to act,” says Al Gore in a part for Rolling Stone.

I tend to believe it. And I am not the only one.

Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal writes about Fritz Kreiss and Catherine McQueen, whose 19-room Green Leaf Inn in rural Delavan, Wisc. uses a wind turbine, geothermal energy and solar energy to produce a non-existent carbon footprint.

And tax and audit firm KPMG LLP has announced that it took advantage of a 22 percent carbon reduction in overall operations over three years. That’s KPMG, just a hippy hugging the trees, and he’s following a plan to improve the environmental performance of his business.

I compiled a relatively long list, but I will keep this spiel somewhat short.

So where else but Las Vegas would clean energy be best showcased? A silly town in the desert that no one thought would be successful. Heck, if that was the case, it really would have dried up during this “recession.” But no, the World Series of Poker was a huge success this year and people turned out in droves despite the unrealistic dinner prices.

So dress up the next casino resort with solar panels, tap on some geothermal energy, and go crazy for LEDs. Yes, in Vegas, honey.