Nevada Energy and PUC Screw Nevadans

From the Las Vegas Sun: Southern Nevada energy rates will rise about 3.4 percent, or about $5.29 a month on the average residential home bill, to pay for energy efficiency programs and the lost sales related to those efforts for NV Energy, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada ruled today.
The rate increase was the result of legislation passed in 2009 that allow the company to recover costs of energy efficiency programs the company implements, such as subsidizing light bulbs and replacing old refrigerators and air conditioners, and the resulting energy sales it would have made without those programs.
The three-member Public Utilities Commission of Nevada unanimously approved the increase.
NV Energy had sought a 5 percent rate increase in Southern Nevada. In Northern and most of rural Nevada, it had sought a 2.5 percent increase.
Northern Nevadans will see a 1.6 percent increase, or an average residential monthly payment of $1.47. (The lesser amount is because Northern Nevada recently had a regularly scheduled rate increase and has different energy efficiency programs.)
John Owens, with NV Energy, said he did not believe the company would challenge the ruling.
The increase in rates will be effective on July 1, but will be partly offset for Southern Nevadans by falling natural gas prices and more efficient energy production, Owens said.
Most of the increase is used to pay for the cost of programs such as subsidizing light bulbs, he said.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/may/23/power-bills-rising-pay-effiency-programs/
So, we get to subsidize other people who buy energy efficient items. Why? The people who buy the energy efficient are going to get lower electric bills, so why do we need to subsidize them? Are they going to share their savings with us? Yeah, right.
What the article did not mention is that another reason Nevada Energy needs the extra money is that people are using less electricity, in combination with people moving out of the houses due to foreclosure and other reasons. So, Nevada Energy doesn't have to produce as much electricity, but we, the consumers, have to pay Nevada energy more because of this? How does this make sense?
So, now those of use who use electricity are going to have to pay more because people are conserving energy. What's wrong with this picture?