Nevada

Last updated on May 16, 2011

Recent Updates

Now in the middle of the 2011 legislative session, we are hard at work on a bill to expand the distributed generation or ‘rooftop’ solar market in Nevada.  Our proposal allows the rapid growth of customer sited solar projects to continue by creating a 400 MW by 2020 goal and an expansion of the current 1% net metering enrollment limit to 5%.

For large scale solar projects, legislation to ease transmission permitting is underway.  Nevada is desperate for an engine economic and job growth and solar can be that machine. We are still to deep in the politics of energy at the Nevada state house to predict any outcomes so stay tuned.

Background

The 75th session of the Nevada legislature ended in June 2009.  We began the session with an ambitious agenda, and thanks to leadership in the Legislature,  major solar energy advances were made. Read about the bills that passed here.

In 2009, the Nevada legislature passed substantial renewable energy legislation.  The state’s renewable energy goal was increased  to 25% renewable by 2025, with a 6% carve-out for solar.  Tax abatements for renewable energy power plant development were locked in, and modest changes were secured for the state’s solar rebate program. Read more about what the policy changes mean for distributed generation solar here, and large-scale solar here.

Nevada first passed a renewable portfolio standard in 2001. Since then the RPS has been updated several times, most recently in 2005, when the legislature increased the RPS goals to 20% by 2015 — with a 5% solar set-aside.

Three major solar projects have been developed as a result of the RPS. The first was a 3.1 MW PV installation at the Las Vegas waste-water treatment plant, one of the largest solar PV installations in the country. The second was the first concentrating solar power plant  built in the US since the 1980s: a 64 MW solar parabolic trough plant  developed by Solargenix Energy.  Third is the impressive 14 MW PV installation at the Nellis Airforce Base. This is one of the largest PV installations in the world.

In addition, the RPS has also resulted in the state’s two utilities providing limited rebates for solar systems to their customers.  Since the start of the 2009 legislative session we fought hard to expand the distributed generation (DG) solar market opportunity in Nevada.  As of  January 27, 2010 we can officially celebrate a major victory with the announcement that NV Energy, the state’s main utility, will be greatly expanding incentives to bring online more rooftop solar. Click here to learn more.

Nevada Reports

New Vote Solar economic report shines light on Nevada’s large-scale solar opportunity. Read more here.

Contact  Claudia Eyzaguirre (DG solar) and Jim Baak (central station solar) with questions.

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