(Carson, City, NV) Right now, Nevada could be generating enough solar, geothermal, and wind power to make the state “energy self-sufficient” if the power grid in sparsely populated Nevada can be expanded so energy can be moved to urban areas, manufacturing areas, and other areas of Nevada where it is needed.

On Tuesday December 16, 2008, Governor Gibbons’ Renewable Energy Transmission Access Advisory Committee (RETAAC) will present plans, including maps, showing proposals for power transmission lines in Nevada. RETAAC has been working on plans to move Nevada toward energy independence for more than one-and-a-half years.

“The future of Nevada must include energy independence and that can only result from a dramatic growth in renewable energy in Nevada,” Gibbons said. “An energy independent Nevada will position our state to flourish through the 21st century.”

“The geothermal and wind energy potential in Northern Nevada is enormous, as is the solar energy potential in Southern Nevada,” the Governor noted, adding that renewable energy projects built in Nevada create jobs and keep money in Nevada that would otherwise be sent out of state.

Dan Schochet, Chairman of the Governor’s RETAAC stated that the Committee has developed the tools which the Governor and the legislature can use to enable the new transmission system to be built so that Nevada’s renewable energy resources will reach Nevada residents and, eventually, Nevada can become an energy exporter.