FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2022
Contacts:
Julianne Basinger, Western Resource Advocates | julianne.basinger@westernresources.org
Ellen Zuckerman, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) | ezuckerman@swenergy.org
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[CARSON CITY, NV] – In a unanimous decision on December 23, utility regulators at the Public Utility Commission of Nevada (PUCN) authorized the state’s largest electricity provider, NV Energy, to roll out several new energy efficiency programs that will give customers more options to save money on their utility bills and improve the health and safety of their homes.
The decision to approve ~$57 million annually includes funding for several new offerings, including a Residential Equipment and Plug Loads program, a Residential Codes and New Construction program, and enhancements to the residential Deep Retrofits program.
In her testimony on behalf of Nevadans for Clean, Affordable, Reliable Energy (NCARE), Ellen Zuckerman, Co-Director of the Utility Program for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), recommended that regulators increase funding for the utility’s efficiency efforts in order to deliver more savings and emissions reductions. The PUCN largely accepted the utility’s proposal but acknowledged that better-funded programs could significantly benefit the state. Regulators further directed stakeholders to address the issue through the utility’s demand-side management collaborative.
“Nevada regulators have taken an important step to give customers more ways to save money on their electricity bills,” said Ellen Zuckerman. “However, there is a lot more we can do to create jobs, save money, and protect the environment by doubling down on energy efficiency investments.”
“Energy efficiency is the most cost-effective resource available to meet electric customer needs while decreasing carbon emissions,” said Cameron Dyer, Western Resource Advocates’ managing senior staff attorney in Nevada and attorney for NCARE. “This decision from Nevada’s regulators represents a positive development.”
Next year, NV Energy will file an amendment to its integrated resource plan to amend its approved demand-side management programs. It is expected to increase funding for programs that serve low-income Nevadans and schools, as required by the recent enactment of Senate Bill 448.
Western Resource Advocates works with policymakers and other advocates to advance clean energy; protect air, land, water, and wildlife; and sustain the lives and livelihoods of the West. westernresourceadvocates.org
The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. swenergy.org
