Governor signs SB150 to reduce energy waste, rounding out Nevada legislation that will study storage deployment, and revise the state’s resource planning process, yet missed significant market opportunity by vetoing AB206, a bill to increase state’s renewables targets, business groups say.
Carson City, Nev., June 19, 2017 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) and its state partner in Nevada, Clean Energy Project (CEP), congratulated Nevada’s Governor Sandoval for signing a suite of bills that improve Nevada’s advanced energy industry. While significant progress was made on energy policy in Nevada, the Governor missed the chance to capitalize on a huge market opportunity by increasing the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 40 percent by 2030, when he chose to veto that bill late last Friday.
In the last week of the session, four bills critical pieces to the growth of the advanced energy industry were signed by Governor Sandoval: Senate Bill 150, which instructs the Public Utility Commission of Nevada (PUCN) to establish annual energy savings targets, Assembly Bill 223, which directs 5 percent of the spending on efficiency programs specifically to programs in low income communities; Senate Bill 204, which requires the public utilities to investigate the need for an energy storage procurement requirement; and Senate Bill 65 that allows the PUCN to prioritize energy resources that reduce energy cost and demand. Also passed and signed was Assembly Bill 405, reinstating a fix to the state’s net metering program.
“By signing these bills, the Governor has taken an important step in his attempt to establish a new Nevada advanced energy market,” said J.R. Tolbert, vice president of state policy for Advanced Energy Economy. “While the energy legislation that was signed by the Governor is a great starting point, our attention now turns to implementation to ensure that Nevada fully capitalizes on this opportunity.”
“We thank the Governor for his leadership in signing these bills to drive Nevada’s clean energy future forward. As we look to attract more businesses to Nevada, we must ensure that our energy policy matches their desire and demand for more clean energy resources,” said Jennifer Taylor, Clean Energy Project’s state policy advisor. “This quartet of energy bills will help these major employers take notice of the important work Nevada is doing in order to maintain its competitive advantage as a place to business.”
Votes and action on the bills were as follows: SB 150, passed the Assembly by 34-5 on June 2, after passing the Senate unanimously on April 25, and was signed by the Gov. June 15; AB 206 after final passage by the Assembly (35-7) and the Senate (12-9) was vetoed by the Gov. late on Friday, June 16; SB 204 passed the Assembly on May 22 (by 39-2) after receiving unanimous support in the Senate (21-0) on April 24, and was signed by the Gov. on May 31; AB 223 passed both chambers unanimously (Assembly, April 25; Senate, May 19) and was signed by the Gov. on May 26; and SB 65, after going back to the Senate for concurrence following Assembly passage, was signed by the Gov. on June 5; and AB 405 was signed by the Gov. on June 15, after unanimous passage by the Senate on June 4, which followed Assembly passage with a 38-2 vote.
*Note: Links to bill language are accessible via AEE's PowerSuite subscription or trial account. Credentialed press can RSVP to mhanis@aee.net for complimentary permanent account (once you set up trial).
About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. AEE’s mission is to transform public policy to enable rapid growth of advanced energy businesses. AEE and its State Partner organizations are active in 27 states across the country, representing more than 1,000 organizations in the advanced energy industry. Learn more: http://www.aee.net @AEEnet
About Clean Energy Project
With deep roots in Nevada’s clean-tech revolution, the Clean Energy Project is Nevada’s premier 501(c)(3) advocacy organization to educate civic, community and business leaders on the importance of smart, forward-looking energy policies that strengthen the State’s economy and improve its environment. CEP is a member of the RenewNV coalition, a partnership of organizations working to build and enhance Nevada’s clean energy economy. Learn more: http://cleanenergyprojectnv.org/.
Media Contacts
AEE: Monique Hanis, mhanis@aee.net, 202-391-0884
CEP: Jennifer Taylor, jtaylor@cepnv.org, 702-987-4556