Speaking to the Nevada Lambda Business Association, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid recalls how he successfully threatened utility executives over the planned construction of “four or five” coal-fired power plants in Nevada: “I told them, ‘You will rue the day you do that…I will do everything I can to hurt your investments, your company.” Senator Reid says, “I won, they lost.”
LAMBDA Business Luncheon
KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas
August 16, 2016
Also see: Daily Caller: Harry Reid Brags About Personally Threatening Coal Executives With Financial Ruin – Here’s what Reid told reporters at a luncheon Wednesday, according to KTNV’s Jon Ralston:
But here in Nevada we don’t even have—NV Energy has not been the biggest help. We had companies come here wanting to spend money [inaudible] but they ended up pulling away [inaudible] they lost large amounts of money. [inaudible] is doing the accounting now and he’s doing a lot better now, but there’s still a lot they need to do. They announced that they—because you know, I came out there—but a number of years ago and I learned they were going to build four to five new coal fire generating plants in Nevada. Why? Because it’s pristine. Out there, nobody complains. I complained. My staff and everybody said “why are you doing that? You’re going to hurt yourself.” And maybe I did. But I won, they lost.
I called two of the companies that built plants there and I told them go ahead and do it, but I am going to do everything to hurt investments in your company. So they decided perhaps—decided to get rid of the coal plants. We don’t have a coal fire generated plant open since Reid-Gardner. And it was 40 years [inaudible]. Yesterday, they announced they announced it is going to close a year early. There’s only one coal fire plant left in Nevada and that’s on its way out too. So we’re making progress in Nevada.
Reid has talked about his efforts to keep coal plants out of Nevada, but he’s never admitted to threatening company executives.
