(Carson City, NV) – The Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy (NGOE) has introduced an important amendment to Assembly Bill 54, to ensure that the Silver State maintains a high level of energy efficiency for light bulbs sold in Nevada.

“AB 54, as amended in the Assembly’s Growth and Infrastructure Committee, will save consumers money on their utility bills and also reduce pollutant emissions from power plants,” said Tom Polikalas, SWEEP’s Nevada Representative. “We commend the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy for introducing the amendment to this bill and joining several other states that are also supporting energy-efficient lighting.”

The amendment from the NGOE establishes a minimum efficiency level of 45 lumens per watt for general service lighting in Nevada. This matches the Federal lighting standard that is supposed to take effect in 2020. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration recently proposed rolling back a portion of this standard. Thus, AB 54 as amended ensures that energy-efficient lighting will be sold in Nevada, even if the Federal standard is rolled back.

“AB 54 as amended is cost-effective,” explained David Bobzien, Director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy. “According to national experts, households in Nevada will save $80 per year on average as a result of the lighting efficiency standard. These savings are important to Nevada’s families and to our economy as a whole– savings on energy bills are most often spent in the local economy.”

“Assuming the roll back of the Federal standard proceeds, AB 54 as amended will reduce electricity demand and thereby cut the operation of fossil fuel-based power plants. This in turn reduces water consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in addition to the dollar savings for consumers,” Bobzien noted.

Contact:  Tom Polikalas, SWEEP Nevada Representative | Phone: 775-386-7411  |  Email: tpolikalas@swenergy.org

About SWEEP: The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project is a public interest organization advancing more efficient energy use and cleaner transportation options in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. www.swenergy.org