What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

For years, Nevada has put affordable energy on the back burner. Now, ratepayers are getting burned.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recently put out research on energy bills. In Las Vegas, it found that a quarter of low-income households spend 12.6% or more of their families' income on home energy. The median for low-income households is a more manageable 5.5%. According to the group, if energy costs more than 10% of household income, the energy burden is deemed severe.

In practical terms, that can mean there isn't enough money to go around. Low-income individuals sometimes must choose between keeping the power on and paying for household necessities. But during Las Vegas summers, air conditioning is a necessity, too.

For middle-income families, high power bills may not be a crisis, but they limit spending on other priorities. As the Review-Journal's Emerson Drewes recently reported, these high prices are even hurting local charities. That includes Living Grace Homes, which helps young homeless mothers.

This wasn't the future green-energy that snake oil salesmen promised Nevada. For years, these advocates assured voters and elected officials that green energy mandates would lower prices. A 2019 fact sheet from the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council and Western Resource Advocates, said, "A strong RPS lowers costs."

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