NSOE History
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NEVADA STATE OFFICE OF ENERGY
The following information was collected through conversations with some of the people involved in the evolution of the Nevada State Office of Energy. It relies upon memory and, therefore, some errors in the chronology of events may exist.
The agency was created in the 1970's during the "energy crisis" and fuel shortages as the Nevada Department of Energy. Noel Clark served as the Director of the Department of Energy. One of the principal duties was the development and implementation of a contingency plan for petroleum shortages. The Department administered the fuel rationing in the late 1970's.
In 1983, the Department of Energy was reorganized and the functions were transferred to the Governor's Office of Community Services under Director Jim Hawke. The office ultimately administered all of the U.S. Department of Energy's community programs, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Energy Efficient Schools, Transportation Energy, Emergency Planning and other energy efficiency programs. The Department also administered the Community Development Block Grants and performed other functions.
In 1991, Assembly Bill 812 created, among other things, an alternative fuels program which was established under NRS 486A. The program contained three positions, a supervisor and two professional positions in the Division of Environmental Protection, which were not funded by the Nevada Legislature. AB 812 also increased the fee for smog certificates from $3 to $6 which was a potential source of funding for the positions. At the time, the smog certificate fees were only used by the Department of Motor Vehicles with excess funds available to the Air Quality programs in Clark and Washoe Counties. The Attorney General held that as the fee was included in the bill, it was the intent of the legislature to fund the programs included in AB 812 from the fee increase.
In 1993, state government was reorganized and the energy functions performed under the Office of Community Services were distributed to other state agencies. The weatherization and building efficiency programs went to the Housing Division in Business and Industry, while the low income energy assistance program was transferred to the Welfare Division. The emergency functions were transferred to the Division of Emergency Management.
Programs for energy efficient government buildings and energy efficient schools were moved as the Energy Office transferred into the Department of Business and Industry. The office consisted of one professional position and a secretary. The U.S. DOE reorganized their programs in the mid 1990's as the State Energy Program. As funding and required functions increased, the office grew to include two additional professional positions (Grants and Projects Manager) and an accountant.
In 1997, a potential emergency existed as the petroleum line running to the Sparks terminal from California was punctured during the New Year's flood. At that time it was determined by the DOE and the State of Nevada (due to statute) that the emergency function resided in the Energy Office who coordinated the petroleum situation in Northern Nevada during the emergency. As a result, the Energy Office was required by DOE to prepare a modification for the Energy Emergency Plan for the Y2K planning preparation.
In 2001, a re-organization moved the Energy Office back into the Governor's Office and the administrator position became a director position. In 2002 or 2003, one of the professional positions was converted to become an engineering position. Unfunded NRS 701 functions were coordinated with the SEP tasks to include state functions and they became a part of the SEP required functions. Following the death of Director Dick Burdette, a deputy director position was created to handle the day-to-day management of the office freeing the director to handle duties established by the governor.
The Nevada State Office of Energy now consists of more than a dozen employees. For a detailed summary of what the office is responsible for, read the NSOE Business Summary.