FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2017
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SB150 Will Help Consumers and Businesses Cut Their Electricity Use
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Penelope Purdy, SWEEP communications director, ppurdy@swenergy.org or 303-447-0078 or 303-885-4909; or Tom Polikalas, tpolikalas@swenergy.org or 775) 386-7411
NV State Senator Pat Spearman, sponsor of SB150
(CARSON CITY, NV) June 5, 2017 – Nevada prides itself on being a leader in solar power and geothermal energy, but now state lawmakers have passed measures that will improve Nevada’s use of a third clean energy source: energy efficiency. One proposal, SB150, passed the legislature on June 2nd, and now heads to Gov. Brian Sandoval’s desk. Its companion measure, AB223, also passed in the legislature last week.
Both bills earned overwhelming, bipartisan backing, with AB 223 passing the Assembly 42-0 and the Senate 21-0. Similarly, SB 150 also passed the Senate 21-0 and the Assembly with strong bipartisan support.
“SB150 enables NV Energy to offer more comprehensive energy efficiency incentives and services to its customers,” said Howard Geller, executive director of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a public interest organization advocating for greater energy efficiency across the Southwest. “As a result, the energy savings achieved by the utility’s energy efficiency and demand response programs should increase.”
“SB 150 will help consumers cut their energy use and their electric bills,” said Senator Pat Spearman, lead sponsor of the legislation. “I’m especially proud that SB 150 will help low-income households obtain increased energy efficiency assistance.”
SB150’s key provisions include:
- Finding that electric utilities should help their customers maximize the implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures;
- Requiring the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) to establish energy savings goals for NV Energy;
- Allowing the PUCN to approve energy efficiency programs as long as they are part of an overall energy efficiency plan that is cost effective;
- Directing NV Energy to dedicate at least five percent of its overall energy efficiency budget to programs targeted to low-income customers, as long as its overall energy efficiency plan is cost effective;
- Directing NV Energy and the PUCN to include non-energy benefits in energy efficiency program and plan benefit-cost analysis; and
- Allowing the PUCN to adopt a rate adjustment mechanism so that utilities are not harmed financially due to energy efficiency improvements made by their customers.
“Like AB 223, SB 150 is a win-win policy for consumers, the state economy, and the environment,” said Tom Polikalas, SWEEP’s Nevada representative. “Consumers will save on their electricity bills, the economy will benefit from additional jobs in selling and installing energy efficiency measures, and the environment will benefit from reduced pollutant emissions and less water consumption by power plants.”
The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project is a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency in Arizona. Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. www.swenergy.org
CONTACT: Penelope Purdy, SWEEP communications director, ppurdy@swenergy.org or 303-447-0078 or 303-885-4909; or Tom Polikalas, tpolikalas@swenergy.org or 775) 386-7411
