Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Environmental And Socio-Economic Stress In The Mountain West, Ayda Atici, Caitlin J. Saladino, Fatma Nasoz, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet examines data on environmental and socio-economic risk metrics including which metrics pose the most risk for Nevada counties.The data are retrieved from “System for the Triage of Risks from Environmental and Socio-Economic Stressors” created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) joint program on the science and policy of global change.

Drought Levels In Nevada Counties, 2022, Julianna Jovillar, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet synthesizes data on drought levels within Nevada counties from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in 2022. The information presented in this document focuses on the breakdown of the number of Nevada residents affected by the droughts within each county and the drought experience in each county.

Renewable Energy Legislation In Nevada: 2017 - 2021, Peter Grema, Zachary Walusek, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

The purpose of this fact sheet is to summarize legislative actions from the biennial 79th, 80th, and 81st Nevada Legislative Sessions (2017, 2019, and 2021) regarding solar energy production and state efforts to reach 50 percent energy production from renewable sources by 2030. By 2050, Nevada has a statutorily mandated obligation to be a net-zero carbon producer in fulfilling energy production needs from large scale utility services.

Wildfire Risk In Mountain West States, 2017-2021, Olivia K. Cheche, Corryn Richardson, Zachary Billot, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet examines data on wildfire destruction in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The original report from the Insurance Information Institute presents findings on percent of properties at risk of wildfire destruction, the number of wildfires by state, and numbers of acres burned per state.

Operating Solar Projects In Nevada, 2021, Kristian Thymianos, Saha Salahi, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) both provide national databases that contain comprehensive lists of active solar projects in the United States. This fact sheet provides a list of operating solar projects in the State of Nevada.

New Business Competition For A Different Generation Launches In Nevada, Nevada Institute For Renewable Energy Commercialization (Nirec)

Nevada Newsflash

On Nevada Day (October 26), a new competition was announced that is designed to stimulate business formation in the Silver State by offering the state’s largest-ever cash grand prize as an incentive.

The related tagline gets right to the point: “$100,000 cash. Your business idea. A room of investors. 5 minutes. One chance to prove you have what it takes.”

Nevada's Top Energy Industry Representatives Call For More Collaboration And Education, Nevada Institute For Renewable Energy Commercialization (Nirec)

Nevada Newsflash

More than 75 representatives from every sector of Nevada’s energy industry gathered at Reno’s Desert Research Institute last week to discuss energy challenges facing the Silver State, opportunities available and actions needed to lead the West and the nation in renewable energy generation, transmission and delivery.

Startup Weekend; Hooking Up For Economic Growth, Nevada Institute For Renewable Energy Commercialization (Nirec)

Nevada Newsflash

The Startup Weekend, a national grassroots business-launching event, is coming to Northern Nevada, September 28-30, 2012. Startup Weekend Elko will connect local entrepreneurs, developers, designers and startup enthusiasts with mentors and resources for a weekend of sharing ideas, forming teams and launching startups. The weekend-long event will take place at the Great Basin College campus in Elko.

Special Edition: National Clean Energy Summit, Nevada Institute For Renewable Energy Commercialization (Nirec)

Nevada Newsflash

Young Professionals in Energy–Nevada recently gathered for an up-to-the-day report on renewable energy at UNLV’s LEED-certified Science and Engineering Building given by Associate Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research Tom Piechota—just hours after President Obama appeared on campus in support of higher education.

Piechota, who also heads UNLV’s Urban Sustainability Initiative (and is this author’s boss in that capacity), covered all the overlapping curriculum and research going on. Of about 400 total research projects university-wide, 142 involve clean energy, water or environmental science – some at the nexus of all three. Department of Energy remains the biggest source of funding, along …

Nevada Grown, Cutting Edge Clean Energy Innovation Please, Nevada Institute For Renewable Energy Commercialization (Nirec)

Nevada Newsflash

The Nevada chapter of Young Professionals in Energy (YPE Nevada) seeks to facilitate the advancement of mid-career energy professionals in the state of Nevada through social, educational, vocational and community service events. YPE Nevada aims to build a cohesive network of energy professionals from students to retired executives, and to create an environment where members can learn from each other’s experiences, share industry knowledge and discuss career matters. By expanding networking between the state’s energy professionals, it aims to enhance entrepreneurial activity.

Join Nevada's Newly Formed Networking Group For All Energy Professionals, Nevada Institute For Renewable Energy Commercialization (Nirec)

Nevada Newsflash

“YPE Nevada is designed to engage Nevada’s mid-career energy professionals through a variety of career-related, community service, professional education and social events to be scheduled across the entire state. ” said YPE Nevada Board Member Walt Borland, the President and CEO of NIREC that is sponsoring the launch of the new chapter. “And, we expect that this enhanced interaction will help to drive more energy-related entrepreneurial activity in Nevada.”

Survey Of Resource Managers Completed On Monitoring And Management Actions For Rare Plants In Arizona And Nevada, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

In a collaborative project with Northern Arizona University and more than 35 resource managers in Arizona and Nevada, we completed a survey of monitoring and management activities that are ongoing in these states for conserving populations of rare plants. We sent questionnaires consisting of 16 questions to as many resource managers as possible in these states and had follow-up conversations with several managers willing to share their perspective on ongoing conservation actions. The findings may be interesting for managers to see what issues and management strategies other managers in the same or different regions are grappling with. Results will be …

How Long Does This Litter Last?, Public Lands Institute

Anti-littering Presentations

Timeline for how long different types of waste last in the Nevada desert.

Wind Power In Nevada, Hamedah Dhalai

Brookings Mountain West Publications

This bibliography compiles scholarly information and new reports on the topic of wind power in Nevada. As a senior at UNLV majoring in both Economics and French, I began this project in June 2010 in consultation with William E. Brown, Jr., director of planning and communications at Brookings Mountain West. This research topic interests me greatly, and I believe that expanded research and commercial development of alternative energy, including wind power, is essential to the growth and development of Nevada. My service as a Student Ambassador in the College of Business, a position that allows me to represent UNLV to …

Plant Community Response To Fire: A Chronosequence Study, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Fires are becoming more prevalent events across the landscape in the southwestern US. Over the next several decades the already arid southwest is predicted to become warmer and drier, with longer summers, and an increase of “extreme” weather events such as lightening inducing thunderstorms. While the “hotter and drier” forecast may indicate less abundant plant life, and thus less available biomass for fuel, exotic invasive plant species are becoming more dominant across the landscape with increases in human travel and commerce. Exotic species (particularly many of the invasive grasses) are adding fuel for the fires to burn when the annuals …

Anti-Litter/Anti-Dumping Messaging Campaign – Phase Ii, Public Lands Institute

Anti-littering Presentations

• Desert dumping is a problem
• Dumping and littering are illegal, costly and socially irresponsible
• There are easy, legal ways to dispose of trash and construction debris

Don't Trash Nevada: Open House, Public Lands Institute

Anti-littering Presentations

Through an interagency partnership, our mission is to reduce litter and dumping by identifying root causes and solutions. This will be accomplished through education and awareness programs, clean-up of public lands, and enforcement efforts.

Don't Trash Nevada: Friday Show, Public Lands Institute

Anti-littering Presentations

Through an interagency partnership, our mission is to reduce litter and dumping by identifying root causes and solutions. This will be accomplished through education and awareness programs, clean-up of public lands, and enforcement efforts.

Opportunities For New Collaborative Projects, Scott R. Abella, Jill E. Craig

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The Research Group is currently working in successful partnerships with Lake Mead National Recreation Area, BLM Las Vegas, Desert National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Joshua Tree National Park, and in collaboration with the Ecological Restoration Institute, the U.S. Forest Service (Region 3).

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program – Phase 2 (Nramp2): Quarterly Progress Report July 1, 2007 Through September 30, 2007, Klaus J. Stetzenbach

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program

Work conducted in this 4th quarter consisted of 3 major activities:

• Continue the receipt and reconciliation of Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) inventory data.

• Receive, review, install, calibrate, and run the Goldsim Area 5 Performance Assessment (PA) Model, and review the supporting parameters and assumptions in the 93-document reference set as a tool for regulatory compliance and closure assessment.

• Identify, review, and compare the interpretation of pertinent regulatory guidelines and orders by DOE sites in compliance for PA, Compliance Assessment (CA), and closure activities - as they may relate to the Nevada Test Site (NTS) …

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (Nramp) – Phase 2: Quarterly Progress Report April 1, 2007 Through June 30, 2007, Klaus J. Stetzenbach

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program

Work conducted this quarter consisted of continuing the detailed data and information acquisition; review of the received document contents, and interpretation of significance in light of previous DOE documents. Much of the effort was devoted to reconciling inconsistencies and contradictions in both the primary data bases and in and among the DOE published documents. These review and reconciliation efforts included regular telephone and e-mail correspondence, as well as in-person discussions with DOE NVO personnel at the April DOE Generator Conference in Las Vegas. Reconciliation efforts continued with frequent (daily) exchanges on the inventory data sets, and the engineering descriptions of …

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (Nramp) – Phase 2: Quarterly Progress Report January 1, 2007 Through March 31, 2007, Klaus J. Stetzenbach

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program

Work conducted in this second quarter consisted of continuing the detailed data and information acquisition; review of the received document contents, and interpretation of significance in light of previous DOE documents. This included telephone and in-person discussions with DOE NVO personnel at the March Waste Management Symposia in Tucson. As a result of these discussions and review of the supporting data and methodologies, a more specific listing of activities was developed, and DOE provided a confirmatory note to HRC in March.

Much of the review of the received information does indicate significant changes in data, methodologies, and baseline assumptions over …

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (Nramp) – Phase 2: Quarterly Progress Report, Oct. 1, 2006- Dec. 31, 2006, Klaus J. Stetzenbach

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program

Work conducted in this initial period consisted of work start-up (technical, administrative, contractual), and interviewing/site visits with DOE NVO staff (and support contractors) and HRC staff to quickly ascertain current technical activities and priorities as related to the scope of this task.

Since much of the technical work scope builds on previous technical work, it was considered critical to determine the changes (programmatic, technical, and regulatory) that have occurred over the past several years that directly relate to the scope. It was also equally important to determine the technical and programmatic priorities that have been established in the interim.

Don’T Trash Nevada: An Anti-Litter Strategy For Southern Nevada, Public Lands Institute

Anti-littering Presentations

• Increase public awareness about the desert dumping and urban littering.
• Increase the media’s awareness of the dumping and littering problem.
• Over the life of the campaign, modify behavior to reduce littering and dumping by Clark County residents and visitors.

Take Pride In America, Public Lands Institute

Anti-littering Presentations

• To promote a fundamental, unifying awareness of the importance and relevance of litter and dumping prevention to all Nevadans through use of an original, enduring slogan
• To encourage Nevadans to volunteer through Take Pride in America events to beautify Nevada’s public lands

Final Technical Report For Grant De-Fg01-96ew56093 Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (Nramp), Donald H. Baepler, Anthony Hechanova

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program

The Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (NRAMP) was part of a national effort by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop new sources of information and approaches to risk assessment, risk management, risk communication and public outreach as these objectives relate to the ecological and human health effects of radioactive and hazardous material management and site remediation activities. This final report presents a synopsis of the NRAMP effort that occurred from 1995 to 2000. Included in this report is a brief history of NRAMP including a description of the DOE Notice of Program Interest (NOPI) goals and how the NRAMP …