In a shift of state policy, Gov. Joe Lombardo released an executive order Monday announcing that his administration supports natural gas as part of the state’s energy mix and will review the climate strategy developed under Gov. Steve Sisolak's administration.

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada approved a new natural gas plant to meet peak energy demands. Google and clean energy groups said the plan needed more vetting.

House Republicans are moving an energy package that could have major implications for mining and permitting in Nevada, while Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) began the budgeting process for his subcommittee.

Climate action is a significant concern for younger Nevadans — 50 percent of people ages 18 to 34 think the state isn’t doing enough on the issue. By comparison, just 34 percent of people 65 and older think the state isn’t doing enough.

Tesla intends to invest $3.6 billion in battery and electric semi-truck manufacturing in Sparks, expanding the company’s presence and the clean energy industry in Nevada, the White House said Tuesday.

Higher costs for energy expenses sliced into the third quarter earnings of several Nevada casino operators by as much as 25 percent.

Details about his new employment are still being finalized, but Brooks said it would broadly encompass working on developing renewable energy projects across the country.

The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against Southwest Gas in a case about whether the utility enjoyed a "presumption of prudence" that its costs were just and reasonable.

The vacancy has drawn intense interest from environmental groups, as slim Democratic majorities in Congress likely mean that FERC may end up implementing many of Biden’s climate change policies.

Nevada is one step closer to adopting the vehicle emissions standard proposal announced by Gov. Steve Sisolak last year after reaching a compromise lauded by environmental groups and automakers.

In an order Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Miranda Du wrote that environmental groups did not meet the legal threshold for issuing an injunction to stop preliminary mine work, digging and trenching.

“Starting today, we are also going to take the innovative and pragmatic step of actively measuring our carbon footprint so we can use this real time information to understand our actual impact,” Sisolak said in a statement to The Nevada Independent. “This is how we fight climate change and protect our state.”

A business taking electric service from the state’s primary electricity provider may not seem like news, but Resorts World isn’t being treated like most other electric customers. Instead, NV Energy and the casino are asking utility regulators to approve a unique market-based electricity supply deal aimed at ultimately powering the property with renewable energy.

Nevada is facing its worst drought in two decades. The dry conditions are important for the forecasts facing fire managers as they start planning for the warm summer months. This week’s Indy Environment newsletter looks at a recent media briefing on Great Basin fire risks.

Sponsored by Sen. Chris Brooks (D-Las Vegas), SB448 would expand the state’s transmission infrastructure in line with NV Energy’s multibillion-dollar Greenlink Nevada initiative, along with requiring a $100 million investment in electric vehicle charging stations, expanding rooftop solar to multi-tenant and commercial buildings and proposing a host of other measures aimed at lowering carbon emissions and building up renewable energy infrastructure.

Beyond the two themes of transmission and electrification of transportation, the bill makes a host of other energy policy related changes, including expansion of tax credit programs to energy storage facilities, allowing multi-family or commercial buildings to use the state’s rooftop solar net metering program and reopening a 2013 economic development rate rider program aimed at giving new large businesses a discount on energy costs.

The state’s Green Building Tax Abatements program is still in heavy use — a state report estimated more than $25 million in property taxes were abated through the 2020 fiscal year, with $105 million in property taxes abated since 2010. State budget analysts say that more than 160 buildings in the state — from Park MGM, Wynn/Encore and even the T-Mobile Arena — enjoy partial property tax abatements through the program.

That axiom is a favorite of energy efficiency advocates, who say the concept of not only increasing electric supply but also decreasing demand through better insulation, more efficient air conditioners or heating systems, and other projects will help reduce strain on the state’s electric grid and help consumers save money on their power bills.

That’s why Watts is sponsoring AB383, which was heard Tuesday in the Assembly Growth and Infrastructure Committee. The bill would set minimum energy efficiency levels for certain residential and commercial appliances and products, ranging from water coolers and air purifiers, to commercial fryers and ovens.

Watts’s AB349 aims to close loopholes in the state Emissions Inspection System that allowed the increase in the amount of vehicles registered as “classic,” and implement a financial incentive to replace older polluting vehicles with “cleaner” transportation. The ultimate goal is to reduce pollution in the state, which contributes to climate change and poor health.