Background
Nevada's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) was adopted during the 1997 legislative session, and Nevada was the second state in the U.S. to adopt an RPS. The RPS has been modified several times since then, and now it establishes the percentage of electricity sold by an electric utility to retail customers that must come from renewable sources. Specifically, electric utilities are required to generate, acquire, or save a certain percentage of electricity annually.
Amendments in 2019 which increased the RPS also included legislative findings that this increased RPS supports the state’s policies to:
- Encourage and accelerate the development of new renewable energy projects for the economic, health, and environmental benefits for all Nevadans.
- Become a leading producer and consumer of clean and renewable energy, with a goal of achieving zero emission energy production by 2050.
- Ensure that the benefits of the increased use of portfolio energy systems and energy efficiency measures are received by all Nevada residents.
RPS Reporting Compliance
The statute requires RPS compliance and reporting from “electric utilities,” which is defined as any public utility that is in the business of providing electric service to customers, holds a certificate of public convenience and necessity, and had a gross operating revenue of $250,000,000 or more in the past seven years. Public utilities, including cooperative associations, nonprofit corporations, and nonprofit associations also fall into RPS compliance requirements at certain levels of electricity generation, regardless of whether the entity is subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN). Each year, providers of electric service that are not already subject to regulation by the PUCN are required to provide evidence of their compliance with the RPS to GOE. Those reports, which are due by July 1 each year, can be viewed on the right sidebar of this page and must include the same information provided by all providers of electric service to the PUCN (per NRS 704.7825):
- The amount of electricity the provider generated, acquired, or saved from portfolio energy systems or efficiency measures d and, if applicable, the amount of portfolio energy credits the provider acquired, sold, or traded comply with its portfolio standard.
- The capacity of each renewable energy system owned, operated, or controlled by the provider; the total amount of electricity generated by each system; and the percentage of that total amount generated directly from renewable energy.
- If and when the provider began construction on, acquired, or placed into operation any renewable energy system.
- If and when the provider acquired or installed any energy efficiency measures.
50% by 2030
The percentage of renewable energy required by the RPS will increase at a scheduled rate until it reaches 50% in 2030.
- 22% in 2020
- 24% in 2021
- 29% in 2022 and 2023
- 34% in 2024 through 2026
- 42% in 2027 through 2029
- 50% in 2030 and each year thereafter
In addition, energy efficiency measures can currently be used to comply with RPS requirement, but that credit option is eliminated by 2025. During each calendar year 2020 to 2024, not more than 10 percent of RPS compliance may be based on energy efficiency measures. By 2025, and each year thereafter, no portion of the RPS may be based on energy efficiency measures.