Three Opportunities to Revamp Nevada Solar Market

“The Sun Could Soon Shine Again on Rooftop Solar in Nevada,” blares the headline May 20 in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Three bills moving through the legislature could create a perfect storm of opportunity in Nevada to restore and revamp rooftop, utility scale and community solar in Nevada. Bills affecting the state’s net metering program (AB 405), renewable portfolio standard (AB 206) and community solar programs (SB 392) are all on the table and SEIA and its allies are putting their voices into the negotiations.

While there are still complications to work through, their enactment would mean that Nevada could be reclaiming its rightful place as one of the top solar states in America. Let’s break down each bill to understand what is at stake.

We’ll tackle AB 405 first, the pro-consumer net metering bill, which seems to have the biggest potential impact and can help restore Nevada’s rooftop solar market. The bill is sponsored by Assemblymen Watkins, Brooks, Yeager and Fumo, and would return the state to its previous net metering policy with a “Net Metering Adjustment Charge,” which is a reduction from retail rates for delivered energy, allowing all Nevada homeowners to deliver their excess electricity back to their utility and receive credit on their bill. This will return potentially thousands of solar jobs to the state. The bill also has provisions for Consumer Protections, as well as a “Bill of Rights” for solar customers.

SEIA sent a letter and testified to a Nevada Assembly committee urging them to pass this pro-consumer bill and make up for a 2015 decision that eliminated solar net metering and cost Nevada thousands of well-paying jobs. This is a ripe chance to return the state to its rightful place as a national leader in distributed generation and rooftop solar.

Next up: AB 206. Nevada’s current renewable portfolio standard (RPS) is at 25 percent by 2025. This was enacted more than 20 years ago, making Nevada one of the first states with an RPS and a clean energy contender on the national level. However, NV Energy reports that it easily met its current standard in 2016, so now is the time to continue raising the bar. AB 206 would lift Nevada’s RPS to 50 percent by 2030, with a goal of 80 percent by 2040. 

The utility-scale solar market is booming in Nevada, which added more than 980 MW of new solar capacity in 2016, almost all of which came in the utility-scale sector. Raising the RPS goals will incentivize more solar deployment and make Nevada more energy independent than it already is.

The final piece of legislation is SB 392, sponsored by Nevada Senators Mo Denis and Pat Spearman. This bill would expand solar access to all Nevada residents by establishing a statewide community solar program. This includes easier, more affordable access for renters, low-income residents and small businesses.

“Nevada’s elderly residents and communities of color are spending a larger portion of income on energy costs,” says Nevada Sen. Mo Denis, the bill’s primary sponsor, in an article from Solar Industry Magazine. “Nevada is also home to over 450,000 renters who don’t have the option of reducing electric bills through rooftop solar, and many others whose homes are shaded by trees, blocked by buildings, or otherwise lack a suitable roof for solar installations. All Nevadan families, businesses, and communities deserve access to the financial and health benefits of choosing solar, and that’s what we aim to accomplish with this bill.”

Nevada has virtually limitless renewable resources, and incredible demand and interest from its residents and businesses to harness those resources. For example, in November, the state’s energy choice ballot measure won 72 percent of the vote – proving that Nevadans want a stronger say in how they get their electricity.

These pieces of legislation are being carefully studied and negotiated by state legislators, a testament to their importance and potential impact. The opportunities are there, and SEIA and its allies are determined to seize them. Stabilized electricity prices, energy independence and jobs are all on the table, and we will be relentless in ensuring their success.