NEJC Demands Accountability at PUCN Consumer Session For Nevada’s Energy Crisis

Nevada's Utility Regulator Must Cancel Unlawful Daily Demand Charge, Improve Public Access, and Protect Ratepayers from Rising Costs

LAS VEGAS, NV — Everyday Nevadans, community advocates and NEJC call on the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) to cancel the unlawful daily demand charge, make the PUCN more accessible to working-class communities, and strengthen accountability measures that protect people over utility monopoly profits during the PUCN General Consumer Session, 9075 W. Diablo Drive, Suite 250, at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16.

With energy costs outpacing inflation, data centers straining the grid and investor-owned utilities like the scandal-ridden NV Energy raking in profits while failing to provide reliable and affordable service — everyday Nevadans are increasingly unsatisfied with NV Energy.

NEJC continues to call for the cancellation of NV Energy’s controversial residential daily demand charge, the first of its kind in the country. NV Energy pushed back implementation twice because it failed to properly educate the public on the issue, despite having nine months to prepare. We maintain that this complex and unpredictable billing method will disproportionately punish working-class Nevadans like: 

• Seniors on fixed incomes with no ability to absorb unpredictable fee increases

• Residents in older, less-efficient homes with higher unavoidable energy peaks

• Single parents whose evening routines, like cooking, laundry, homework, create unavoidable usage spikes

• Rooftop solar customers facing a new fee that net metering credits cannot offset

• Any resident who does not have the ability to spread out their appliance usage throughout the day

  
  

NEJC is asking for the PUCN to become accessible to and accountable to the public they claim to serve. To do so, the PUCN can immediately implement the following pragmatic and needed measures:

• Cancel the daily demand charge

• Hold consumer sessions at reasonable times for working people to participate

• Allow virtual or telephonic participation options for every public comment period

• Improve the written comment process to be straight forward and easy to navigate

• Abide by the PUCN’s Language Access Plan 

• Prioritize the feedback from the Bureau of Consumer Protection

• Hold utility companies accountable for exploiting ratepayers

  
  

Community members view the PUCN’s latest tactics as an effort to exclude working people from participating in this public forum are quoted below.

Jackie Spicer, Coalition Coordinator with Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition, issued the following statement:

“We are asking the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to be accessible and accountable to the public they claim to serve. The daily demand charge is a symptom of larger systemic problems in the structure of the PUCN. Enough is enough. Working people cannot afford to be guinea pigs for NV Energy’s first-in-the-nation daily demand charge. Nevadans deserve affordable and predictable rates, not confusing and punitive charges. It is far past the time for the PUCN to prioritize the people of Nevada over the profits of our investor-owned utility companies. Ensuring our communities have access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy is critical to the safety and well-being of all Nevadans.”

Justin Hopson, Community Organizer with Faith Organizing Alliance, issued the following statement:

“Faith calls us to protect the most vulnerable among us. Today, that means recognizing that rising energy costs do not impact all communities equally. Low-income families, seniors, and communities of color often bear the highest energy burden, paying a larger share of their income just to keep the lights on and their homes safe during Nevada's extreme heat. Energy equity is not just an environmental issue, it is an economic and moral one. Nevada's regulators must prioritize affordable, clean energy solutions that put people first, not corporate profits or the growing demands of power-hungry data centers. We are showing up to ensure that every Nevadan, regardless of their ZIP code, race, or income, has access to affordable, reliable energy and a voice in the decisions that affect their lives."

Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director with Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“Investor-owned utility companies, like NV Energy, exist to generate profits for shareholders. That is precisely why the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada must serve as a strong watchdog for consumers. The proposed daily demand charge, the first residential fee of its kind in the nation, is a blatant attempt to extract even more money from Nevada households at a time when they are already paying increased costs in almost every sector. Combined with repeated rate hikes and policy proposals that skirt accountability, it reflects a troubling pattern: profits first, consumers last. Nevadans deserve a PUCN that puts the public interest ahead of corporate interests. We urge the PUCN to return to its fundamental responsibility of ensuring utility rates are fair, reasonable, and equitable.”

Leslie Vega, Climate Equity Policy Fellow with Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, issued the following statement:

“NV Energy claims the Daily Demand Charge is about fairness between solar and non-solar customers. But there is nothing fair about shifting more costs onto working families while guaranteeing profits for shareholders. The PUCN should reject this charge and ensure Nevada families are not paying for utility overspending. Aging communities of color on the frontlines of heat islands will be disproportionately impacted by NV Energy’s latest price scheme. Our communities are finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet, we need regulatory bodies to do what they are meant to do, protect the people, not corporate profits.”

Shaunda Johnson, Executive Director with Faith In Action Nevada, issued the following statement: 

"The decisions made by the Public Utilities Commission affect every household in Nevada, yet too many people feel shut out of the process. At Faith in Action Nevada, we believe those most impacted by rising utility costs should have the greatest voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Parents trying to keep their homes cool during extreme heat, seniors living on fixed incomes, and working families making difficult choices between basic necessities deserve more than an opportunity to react after decisions are made—they deserve a seat at the table.

People of faith understand that accountability begins with listening. Public institutions exist to serve the public, not simply manage processes. When community members take time away from work, family, and other responsibilities to participate, their voices should be welcomed, respected, and reflected in the outcomes. We are here because Nevada's energy future should be shaped with communities, not for them. A fair system is one where everyday people can meaningfully participate and where decision-makers are accountable to the people whose lives are affected by their choices every day."

Blanca Macias, Executive Director of Make the Road Nevada, issued the following statement:

"Electricity is not a luxury; it is how families survive the heat. Nevada families are already at their limit. Rent is up. Groceries are up. We are living through record-breaking summers with no reliable way to get around. This is an urgent health justice issue. Children, seniors, and people with disabilities depend on electricity to power the medical equipment that keeps them alive. The Public Utilities Commission was created to protect Nevadans, not to hand NV Energy a blank check. Nevadans are fed up. Make the Road Nevada calls on the PUCN to establish an accessible rate system that will reduce electricity costs for all Nevadans.”

Chauntille Roberts, West Regional Director of Vote Solar, issued the following statement:

“At a time when affordability is a top concern for Nevada families, utility rate structures should encourage cost savings, energy efficiency, and grid participation not create unnecessary financial burdens. We need policies and rate designs that promote transparency, fairness, and equitable access to clean energy As Nevada continues to modernize its energy system, it is critical that utility rates reflect the needs of consumers while supporting a reliable and affordable grid for everyone.

Mary Wagner, Nevada Field Organizer of Mom’s Clean Air Force & EcoMadres, issued the following statement: 

"As a mom and community advocate, I know that the families struggling most with high energy bills are the same ones who can't afford to take off work, arrange childcare, or drive across town to a 1:30 PM meeting. When the PUC makes it this hard to show up, they're silencing the exact voices that should matter most. Basic access should be provided with remote participation, call-in options, and evening sessions. Until the PUC commits to meaningful public participation, they can't claim to represent Nevada ratepayers. We're demanding they cancel the Daily Demand Charge, stop passing corporate energy costs onto families, and open the door to every Nevadan who deserves a seat at the table."

ABOUT Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition: The Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition is a statewide coalition of 12 community organizations fighting for intersectional climate action and environmental justice. We advance grassroots organizing, climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and political advocacy to center justice through a social and racial lens. We protect our state’s natural resources, support a just transition away from extractive industries and corporate polluters, and work to ensure that disproportionately impacted frontline communities can thrive free from environmental harm. The Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition is comprised of the following organizations: Chispa Nevada, Faith in Action Nevada, Great Basin Resource Watch, Make the Road Nevada, Native Voters Alliance of Nevada, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, Somos Votantes, Faith Organizing Alliance, the Reno-Sparks NAACP Chapter, Vote Solar, and Battle Born Progress. Learn more at nvenvirojustice.org.