Gov. Joe Lombardo signs bill that followed Channel 13 investigation into power bill overcharges

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Gov. Joe Lombardo has signed a bill into law, which will help protect Nevadans from utility overcharges and bill increases. It's in direct response to a Channel 13 investigation.

In the first "Darcy, What's The Deal?" segment of 2025, we introduced you to Carlin Dinola. NV Energy overcharged her more than twice the monthly basic service charge for the last six years. She told us that she should have been reimbursed fully, which would have equated to over $1,100, but only received six months of overcharges, which was $95.

WATCH: NV Energy overcharged me and I only got a partial refund

Assembly Bill 452 was introduced to state lawmakers in March and many Nevadans have testified in support of the bill.

"On behalf of the community, I speak for everybody when I say, come on man! I mean, come on man," Pastor Marlon Anderson told lawmakers in April. "People are stretching every dollar that they earn to survive but sometimes it's just not enough. We need solutions that bring some sense of accountability and fairness to the energy system."

Last month, we also told you the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada could launch an investigation into NV Energy's billing practices after finding that the utility overcharged more than 80,000 customers over $17 million and only provided about $2 million in refunds.

PUCN staff write that NV Energy did not voluntarily disclose the misclassifications and that staff only learned about it through consumer complaints about insufficient refunds.

Less than a week after PUCN staff released the filing detailing those overcharges and billing issues, NV Energy CEO Doug Cannon resigned. Brandon Barkhuff was named the new CEO.

NV Energy staff have previously stated they don't support Assembly Bill 452 because they didn't think it was needed.

"Put simply, the existing system works. This bill attempts to provide a solution for a problem that simply doesn't exist," NV Energy Vice President Janet Wells told the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure in April. "The idea that customers are unprotected or that utilities lack incentive to manage costs simply isn't true."

AB452 requires the PUCN to open investigations to examine matters relating to a "potential cost-sharing adjustment mechanism for the recovery of costs of purchases fuel and purchased power and the sharing of such costs between an electric utility and its customers." It also requires the Commission to submit updates to lawmakers and also requires a utility to refund to the customer, with interest, the full amount of any overcharge.

AB452 passed 35-7 in the Assembly and 20-0 in the Senate, a move that was applauded by multiple organizations across the state.

"We thank Assemblymember Tracy Brown-May for her leadership in championing this bill and the Legislature for coming together across party lines to protect Nevada families," said Kristee Watson, Executive Director of the Nevada Conservation League. "We also applaud Gov. Lombardo for signing AB452 into law. This is a smart, fair policy that ensures utility customers are fully refunded when mistakes are made — and begins the important work of shifting responsibility for skyrocketing fuel costs away from hardworking Nevadans and back to the utility."

What should you do if you think you've been impacted by the overcharges?

NV Energy says customers have already been notified if they have been affected and they may get money back.

Here is a statement the utility previously sent to Channel 13.