Carson City, NV — Today, lawmakers in the Nevada Legislature took several important steps toward creating healthier communities for all and promoting environmentally friendly job growth by approving legislation that will boost clean energy development in our state.
The Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee passed several clean energy bills with strong bipartisan support, including Assembly Bill 206, which would raise the state’s renewable energy standards; Senate Bill 150, which would help low-income consumers access energy efficiency programs; and Senate Bill 65, which would put clean energy first in long-term resource planning.
Meanwhile, two measures that would provide financing options for clean energy projects also passed today. Assembly Bill 5, which would open financing opportunities to commercial property owners seeking energy efficiency projects, and Senate Bill 407, which would lower energy costs by encouraging private investments in “green banks,” were both voted of their respective committees and are advancing to floor votes in the coming weeks.
A poll of Nevada voters commissioned by Chispa Nevada and the Faith Organizing Alliance in March of this year showed that communities of color overwhelmingly support robust clean energy policy, with 91% wanting to see more energy efficiency measures and 84% approving plans to increase renewable energy standards.
“The votes today show us that legislators are listening to Nevada’s working families, who have been asking for policies that will promote clean air and water,” said Rudy Zamora, Director of Chispa Nevada, a program of the League of Conservation Voters. “Our children need healthy communities, and we thank legislators for working together to protect their future.”
A 2015 study by the Wind Energy Foundation also found that stronger clean energy policies could bring up to 92,000 construction jobs and 1,100 annual jobs to the state, on top of the thousands of jobs already created in Nevada by the renewable energy industry.
“I want to thank our legislators for doing the right thing,” said Juan Robledo, a Chispa Nevada volunteer. “Nevadans are looking forward to more job opportunities in the clean energy sector, and now we’re one step closer to building a renewable economy.”
As these clean energy bills advance in the Legislature, Chispa Nevada will continue to support lawmakers who are committed to building healthier communities and a greener economy for our families and for future generations.
Chispa Nevada is a community organizing program of the League of Conservation Voters. Chispa builds the capacity of Latinos and families to influence policy makers and pressure polluters to protect communities’ rights to clean air and water, healthy neighborhoods, and a safe climate for generations to come.