LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Dozens of locals called for lower power bills and cleaner energy Tuesday, urging NV Energy to hear their concerns.
WATCH | The bigger picture behind the protests
“I think if we could get to 100% renewable energy, no more fossil fuels and rates that are manageable for every person, even for the lowest people," said Tori Lee, a Las Vegas local and PLAN (Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada) Representative.
Lee marched with the group up and down Sahara Avenue, across the street from NV Energy's headquarters.
“The more people we can get out here, the more people we can get to make noise, the more people we can get to share their stories, the more chance we have of making this successful," Lee said.
“It’s something people should be out making their voice heard now," said UNLV Assistant Professor of Public Policy Ben Leffel.
Protesters deemed Tuesday as Fossil Fools Day — referring to NV Energy and the use of fossil fuels, falling on the annual April Fools Day custom.
But this protest was part of something bigger.
Across the country Tuesday, people protested outside of Berkshire Hathaway utility companies — NV Energy's parent company and one of the world's largest multinational conglomerates.
According to the company's website, they own Pacificorp, Mid American Energy Company, Northern Natural Gas and more, not just providing energy to the country but around the world.
I reached out to Berkshire Hathaway for comment regarding the nationwide protests. They declined to comment.
“What we’re demanding from them is cuts to rates, to stop increasing rates and for a movement towards more clean energy," Lee said.
I wanted to know how NV Energy is addressing these concerns.
“We’re adding more renewables all the time and that technology is changing, so as that technology changes maybe it gets a little less expensive, we will bring more of those resources on in time," said NV Energy Spokesperson Meghin Delaney. “By the end of 2025, we will have no more coal in our portfolio at NV Energy.”
Delaney tells me the utility runs about 40% renewable energy, but she says we can't go fully renewable just yet.
“Battery storage right now would be cost prohibitive to get enough battery storage on site to move fully to that resource," Delaney said.
As for how the utility will pay for recent improvements, NV Energy has applied for a 9% rate increase that is expected to go into effect later this year.
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada will look over the application, negotiate the percentage increase — which can go down from 9% — and hold several meetings that can last more than 200 days before before a rate increase is approved.
Along with the increase, Delaney tells me they're also looking into providing assistance to help qualified residents.
“So if we have low income customers we’re looking to remove the basic service charge from their bill which would save them about $20 a month," Delaney said.
Lee says she's worried this won't be enough and that higher power bills are right around the corner.
"I'm really worried about what this summer is going to bring for some people," Lee said.
Despite the projected increase, NV Energy says you should expect to pay less this year in energy than you did in 2024, if you use the same amount of power.
This is an email NV Energy sent customers Tuesday breaking down payment information and more:
April 1, 2025
Dear NV Energy Customer,
NV Energy is committed to providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy solutions to our customers. Consistent with this commitment, the company continually makes investments to improve the reliability, affordability and sustainability of the electric service we provide to you. These investments include two natural gas generating units in southern Nevada and a new battery storage project, both of which helped meet customer energy needs during record heat last summer and will continue to provide benefits to customers for years to come.
These specific investments together reduce overall energy costs for our customers, because it is less expensive to produce energy from our own generating plants than it is to buy energy from third-party sellers during peak hours. In addition, NV Energy also invested in new transmission line infrastructure that allows more cost-effective and reliable delivery of energy, as well as upgrading technology, including outdated computer systems. These upgrades will help improve customer service and business processes to ensure NV Energy is providing a high-quality customer experience.
As a result of these investments, NV Energy recently filed a regulatory rate review with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) seeking approval to recover the costs associated with the investments NV Energy made for customers in southern Nevada. All investments are reviewed by the PUCN prior to NV Energy recovering any costs to make sure customers only pay for investments that provide benefits to them.
The company also put forward three policy proposals for consideration and approval by the PUCN. The three proposals include:
- A low-income rate for customers who meet certain income guidelines to ensure all Nevadans have access to critical energy services.
- A demand-based rate for residential and small commercial customers, which encourages putting less strain on the energy system at any one point in time, while also providing customers the opportunity to reduce their bill by adjusting when they use energy at certain points of the day.
- Changes to methodology for measuring when energy from a rooftop solar system is delivered to the grid. Currently, Nevada uses monthly netting, where solar customers get credit for their extra daytime energy any time within the month, even at night when their panels aren’t producing power. The proposal would ensure customers are compensated for the energy they actually generate and deliver to the grid. If approved, the proposal would only apply to future rooftop solar systems. No changes are requested for those who already have rooftop solar installations.
Additional information about each of these proposals is available at nvenergy.com/grc.
Even though NV Energy is requesting to recover certain investments in rates, the company forecasts that the average customer in southern Nevada will see a lower bill at the end of 2025 versus what they paid in 2024. This is due to the declining costs of natural gas and purchased power in 2025 and 100% of those savings go directly to our customers. The following illustration compares an average 2024 bill to the predicted average bill in 2025.
Delaney tells me they're still on pace to meet state law, using 50% renewable energy by 2030.