Water a factor in Nevada’s economic diversification
By Nicole Raz, Las Vegas Review-Journal
A company’s potential water use, in some cases, is the deciding factor in whether Nevada will provide tax incentives.
“We have discouraged a couple of companies (considering relocating for tax abatements) that we felt were water users of such significance, particularly in comparison to the jobs and quality of jobs,” said Steve Hill, director of the governor’s office of economic development.
As state officials work to attract tech and advanced manufacturing companies, they have to reconcile economic development with water conservation. Water is a limited resource in Nevada, and state officials weigh a potential company’s impact on the state’s water supply against potential job creation and other economic benefits.
Nevada gets the majority of its water supply from the Colorado River basin. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation allocates 300,000 acre-feet of water per year from the basin to Nevada. Hill said that because of credits for recycling water, Nevada functionally ends up with an annual amount of 475,000 acre-feet.