Nevada

Legislative activities

While the Nevada legislature has not yet approved any laws specifically addressing smart grids, the state legislature has passed legislation focusing on net-metering in 1997, and amended several times since 1997. It also established contractual methods for entering into solar and wind easements in 1995. The solar and wind easements were then revised in 2009. (SB 114) [2, 3]

Regulatory activities

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada approved Time-of-Use rates for residential and business customers by 2005. The Commission had established demand response through load management by 2007. Commission had approved distributed generator rates by 2009. [4, 5, 6]

“In January 2007, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission issued an Order closing a proceeding it opened in consideration of whether to adopt PURPA Standard 14 (“Time-Based Metering and Communications”) as enacted in EPACT 2005. In the Order, the Commission stated the following:

“…time-based metering could allow customers to play a more meaningful role in managing their energy use and costs, the feasibility of using and/or requiring such in this State is still being undertaken. Before implementing additional regulations, the Commission will evaluate the research and cost/benefit analyses that are currently being performed by Sierra [Sierra Pacific Power Company] and NPC [Nevada Power Company].”

Sierra Pacific and Nevada Power submitted their analyses in March 2007. In April 2007, the Commission directed the two companies to do further research.” [1]

Time-of-Use rates break the cost for electricity into seasonal periods with demand and energy priced on-peak or off-peak.

Demand response though load management allows the company to de-energized specific electrical equipment of the customer’s.

Distributed generators include qualifying cogeneration, small power production facilities and net metered installations.

Utilities and Rate Schedules

Nevada Power Company
- Nevada Power Company Northern Nevada Rates
- Nevada Power Company Southern Nevada Rates

PNM
- PNM Rates

See the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) for information on consumer-owned Cooperatives: http://www.nreca.org/members/MemberDirectory/Pages/default.aspx

State-Level Incentives

Nevada offers special improvement districts, property tax abatement for green buildings with solar, and a renewable energy rebate program for solar.

More information can be found in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=NV

Additional Resources

State Energy Office:
- The Nevada State Office of Energy

State Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- Public Utilities Commission of Nevada
- Docket Search: http://pucweb1.state.nv.us/puc2/Dktinfo.aspx?Util=Electric

Nevada Revised Statutes

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=NV

References

[1] Demand Response and Smart Metering Policy Actions Since the Energy Policy Act of 2005: A Summary for State Officials, Prepared by the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee for The National Council on Electricity Policy, Fall 2008. URL: http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/NCEP_Demand_Response_1208.pdf
[2] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Nevada – Net Metering, 12/14/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NV04R&re=1&ee=1
[3] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Nevada Solar and Wind Easements, 06/03/2010. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NV03R&re=1&ee=1
[4] NVEnergy, Northern Nevada – Electric Rate Schedules. URL: http://www.nvenergy.com/company/rates/nnv/electric/schedules/
[5] NVEnergy, Southern Nevada –Rate Schedules. URL: http://www.nvenergy.com/company/rates/snv/schedules/
[6] PNM, Electricity Rates. URL: http://www.pnm.com/regulatory/electricity_legacy.htm