Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure Hears Major Clean Energy Bill to Support Jobs and Meet Climate Goals
NEVADA – Today, the Nevada Conservation League offered comments in support of Senate Bill (SB) 448, an extensive energy infrastructure bill introduced by Senator Chris Brooks, following a hearing of the bill in the Senate Committee for Growth and Infrastructure.
Nevada Conservation League Policy and Advocacy Director Christi Cabrera:
“SB448 will allow our state to continue to invest in a clean energy economy, make strides in achieving our carbon reduction goals, and put more Nevadans to work in the fast-growing green economy by strengthening our transmission network, increasing availability of electric vehicle charging, investing in energy efficiency and more.
This bill also prioritizes historically underserved communities. Currently, NV Energy is required to spend at least 5 percent of its energy efficiency program budget to programs directed to low-income customers. SB 448 would double the investment to 10 percent, aligning with the national average. Targeted energy efficiency measures would lessen the strain for families paying high energy bills and prevent them from facing difficult decisions between paying bills or putting food on the table.
SB448 will lead to jobs and cost savings to power Nevada’s economic recovery, with a focus on underserved communities who’ve been hit the hardest by climate change and the economic downturn. At the same time, these policies put us on the path to meet our goals of 100 percent clean power and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
SB 448 encompasses a wide range of clean energy provisions and has prompted the support of local environmental groups, labor unions, and clean energy advocates. The Nevada Conservation League is one of 14 organizations that submitted letters calling on legislators to support the clean energy bill.
Recent polling data shows that a majority of Nevada voters support a clean energy economy. New data released by Data for Progress and the League of Conservation Voters demonstrates that 77 percent of Nevada voters favor the climate, clean energy, good-paying union jobs, and justice provisions outlined in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan.
A February poll released by the Nevada Conservation League Education Fund also found that 73 percent of Nevada voters support a plan to require Nevada utilities to get 100% of their electricity from clean energy like solar by the year 2040. When asked about a range of energy sources, 77 percent of Nevada voters said that the state should be using more solar energy, compared to 26 percent who say the same about methane (also known as “natural”) gas.