Public Utilities Commission of Nevada

Address

1150 East William Street, Carson City, NV 89701-3109

Phone

(775) 684-6101Fax (775) 684-6110

Website

puc.nv.gov ↗

Utility landscape

• Nevada Power Company (d/b/a NV Energy) IOU

  Southern Nevada including Las Vegas metropolitan area, Clark County

  Primary operating subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy; subject to Nevada's 2023 energy legislation requiring accelerated IRP timelines and increased RPS compliance. Filed 2024 general rate case seeking significant revenue requirement increases tied to transmission infrastructure and clean energy investments.

• Sierra Pacific Power Company (d/b/a NV Energy) IOU

  Northern Nevada including Reno, Sparks, and rural areas of northern and eastern Nevada

  Co-subsidiary with Nevada Power under NV Energy/Berkshire Hathaway Energy umbrella; manages separate rate jurisdiction before PUCN. Active in seeking cost recovery for grid hardening and wildfire mitigation programs driven by increasing fire risk in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

• Southwest Gas Corporation IOU

  Statewide natural gas distribution serving Las Vegas, Reno, and surrounding communities

  Under heightened regulatory scrutiny following contentious takeover battle with activist investors; PUCN monitoring capital allocation and executive governance impacts on Nevada ratepayers. Recently sought infrastructure tracker recovery for pipeline replacement and leak detection modernization.

• Valley Electric Association coop

  Rural Nye and Clark counties including Pahrump Valley

  Subject to limited PUCN oversight as a cooperative but increasingly relevant in renewable interconnection discussions given proximity to large-scale solar development zones in southern Nevada. Participates in Western Area Power Administration wholesale arrangements.

• City of Las Vegas (municipal electric operations) muni

  Select municipal facilities and streetlighting within Las Vegas city limits

  Pursues direct access arrangements outside NV Energy retail service; limited PUCN jurisdiction. City has advanced 100% renewable electricity commitments for municipal operations, influencing broader state clean energy policy dialogue.

• Overton Power District No. 5 coop

  Moapa Valley and northeast Clark County including Mesquite

  Rural cooperative with growing load driven by data center development near Mesquite and I-15 corridor; navigating transmission access and capacity questions as large commercial customers seek renewable supply arrangements.

Key issues

• NV Energy 2024-2025 general rate cases for both Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power: PUCN reviewing combined revenue requirement requests exceeding $500M tied to capital investments in transmission upgrades, EV infrastructure buildout, and wildfire mitigation; consumer advocates and large industrial customers contesting rate design and return on equity proposals.
• Renewable Portfolio Standard acceleration and IRP compliance: Nevada's RPS requires 50% renewables by 2030; PUCN scrutinizing NV Energy's 2024 Integrated Resource Plan for adequacy of battery storage procurement, retirement timeline for natural gas peakers, and sufficiency of transmission capacity to deliver utility-scale solar from rural Nevada.
• Competitive retail electric market and direct access policy: Legislative pressure and large commercial customer lobbying to expand Nevada's limited direct access framework beyond the current 1% of NV Energy load cap; PUCN evaluating stranded cost and exit fee structures that would govern expanded customer departure.
• Southwest Gas infrastructure investment recovery and rate design: PUCN proceedings addressing Southwest Gas requests to recover costs for accelerated pipeline replacement under DIMP and TIMP trackers amid growing policy debate over long-term role of gas distribution infrastructure given Nevada's decarbonization trajectory.
• Electric vehicle infrastructure cost recovery and rate design: PUCN addressing NV Energy EV make-ready program cost allocation between transportation electrification riders and general rate base, including TOU rate structure design to manage distribution system load impacts from residential and commercial charging in Clark County growth corridors.

Upcoming

• 2026-09-15

  Estimated deadline for PUCN staff and intervenor testimony in NV Energy (Nevada Power) 2025 general rate case docket; evidentiary hearing anticipated to follow in Q4 2026 with final order expected by early 2027.

• 2026-10-07

  Estimated PUCN open meeting at which commissioners are expected to address pending Southwest Gas infrastructure tracker (DIMP/TIMP) rate adjustment application filed in mid-2026; procedural schedule subject to confirmation in official notice.

• 2026-11-18

  Estimated evidentiary hearing opening date for Sierra Pacific Power 2025 general rate case before PUCN; proceeding involves contested wildfire mitigation capital recovery and proposed changes to residential rate tiers affecting northern Nevada customers.

• 2027-01-31

  Estimated PUCN deadline for NV Energy to file its 2026 Integrated Resource Plan update, incorporating revised RPS compliance modeling, updated battery storage procurement targets, and transmission expansion plans required under SB 448 (2023) mandate; filing will trigger formal evidentiary review and public comment process.