The driest state in the nation is putting water use and conservation at the top of its economic development plans.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development just awarded a $1.5 million grant to the Henderson-based nonprofit WaterStart to develop a set of conservation-oriented incentives to be incorporated into its economic development portfolio. of the state, which will give the Silver State another tool in the highly competitive field of attracting new and emerging companies.
WaterStart executive director Nathan Allen said the goal is to help Nevada “see the water savings we need to make sure the economy can keep growing.”
“We think we can develop an approach that is more proactive than just restricting growth. And we hope this approach sets an example for the rest of the American West,” she said.
The concept would be similar to how other economic development incentive packages are managed in the state, but aimed at encouraging businesses to adopt technologies that reduce their water use, with a primary focus on addressing thirsty commercial water-refrigeration systems. evaporation, Allen said.
In southern Nevada, evaporative coolers are the second largest consumer of water, behind only lawns, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The authority in 2021 implemented a moratorium on the installation of new commercial evaporative coolers.
Nevada has what it considers seven “key” industries that it is trying to attract to the state. These are aerospace, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and logistics, mining, natural resource technologies, and gaming and tourism.
Some of the companies in these sectors, such as data centers, often have a significant water footprint. In other cases, businesses relocating from areas where water is less of a concern may not even think about how much water they’re using for cleaning, cooling or other daily operations, Allen said.
“What we’re trying to find out is if we can find technologies that help these types of industries adapt to the way they operate in this region so they can continue to do business, so it’s not an all or nothing situation,” Allen said.
Economic development is a competitive field in which states across the country compete for the biggest names and the latest technology. Having an incentive package like the one WaterStart is developing will give it an advantage over Nevada’s main competitors, such as Texas, Utah and Arizona, said Kristopher Sánchez, deputy director of the governor’s Office of Economic Development.
The grant builds on recent steps taken by the State to make water conservation even more important to the State’s future. The Nevada Legislature unanimously passed Assembly Bill 261 this year, enshrining into state law that water conservation must be part of the state’s economic development plan.
“This signals to the business community that we are very much in favor of tackling this issue head-on,” Sanchez said.
WaterStart has a history of connecting the business community with the latest water technologies. Since its founding in 2013, WaterStart has worked with state and local agencies to support and bring water technology companies from around the world to Nevada.
Allen said they plan to submit their recommendations to the state by the end of 2024.
