Skip to content

Chamber on Clean Energy

The  2019 Nevada Legislative session is officially over and made great progress in raising the bar on Nevada's share of renewable energy.
This session also saw some positive and forward-thinking policies passed related to solar energy and electric vehicles.

  • Senate Bill 358: This bill raised Nevada's Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50% by 2030 and received unanimous support from both the Senate and Assembly before being signed by Governor Sisolak this April! This has been a long push and we're proud to see Nevada finally capitalize on our tremendous renewable energy potential.
  • Senate Concurrent Resolution 3: This resolution directs an interim committee to conduct a study on alternative transportation infrastructure funding opportunities, and how electric vehicles fit in. With the information from this study, legislators will have the data they need to craft sound EV policies that address infrastructure needs while growing a critical market.
  • Senate Bill 299: This bill allows school districts for apply for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration (EVID) money to use in purchasing electric school buses, getting up to 75% of the costs of a new bus covered. This continues smart policy that transitions major fleets to cost-saving electric vehicles.
  • Assembly Bill 377: This bill raises weight limits for Nevada's roads, allowing electric heavy duty trucks to enter the market and compete. Like SB299 and SCR3, this sets the stage for more EV technology in Nevada, helping the state maintain its clean tech leadership.
  • Assembly Bill 465: This bills creates an expanded solar access program through NV Energy to help pass cost savings from solar energy to low-income customers. It also creates some training and apprenticeship programs in the solar energy field, which is one of the fastest growing professions across the country. This means more clean energy jobs and more customers seeing lower energy bills.

All of these bills received overwhelming or unanimous support in both the Senate and the Assembly, demonstrating that renewable energy is an issue with bipartisan support and that common-sense policies can lead to economic diversification and growth. Nevada continues to show its renewable energy leadership, and we're looking forward to seeing these policies successfully implemented.

Renewables_web-w1600

Government policy towards clean energy is changing rapidly at the same time as consumer demand for renewable resources is increasing. As we work to ensure government policy best represents the interests of businesses and individuals in the Carson Valley, we plan to more directly engage in bringing the clean energy sector to our region and our state through sound policy.

The future of the Carson Valley requires renewed investment in our business community, and clean energy is being used to drive workforce development and economic growth throughout Nevada. Carson Valley can capitalize on these opportunities to make our region an attractive place for both existing and new technologies and businesses and to bring new, well-paying, highly-skilled jobs here.

The Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability through its Green BIG program and subsequent participation in GreenACTnv, encouraging businesses throughout the Valley to embrace efficiency and environmentally friendly practices that will make them stand out from their competitors while reducing operating costs. Now, we want to see policies that promote economic growth through clean energy in the Valley while also helping our local large and small businesses as they work to transition from traditional sources of energy to renewable sources of power.

We can do this in many ways including by protecting rooftop solar and the homeowners who have invested in solar energy by letting net metering policies mature without sudden changes. We can encourage work in the private and public sectors towards development of battery storage systems that make clean energy available 24/7. We can support businesses that provide the infrastructure for electric vehicles and encourage public entities to offer them. We can educate policymakers on the importance on solar and geothermal energy for our region’s economic development.

Nevada has been given the elements to grow the clean energy and technology industry, creating good-paying jobs in construction, technology innovation, manufacturing, repair and maintenance, sales and marketing, and more. Let’s be a part of making that growth happen and helping Nevadans prosper.

The Business Case - Clean Energy, Electric Transportation & Climate Action - Presented by Ceres