LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — NV Energy went before the Public Utilities Commission once again Wednesday morning, seeking approval for its Integrated Resource Plan, which NV Energy says will help meet future energy needs in Nevada.
WATCH | Anyssa Bohanan reports on the latest info and breaks down what it means:
The plan would add 4,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable resources and 5400 MW of battery storage between Jan. 1, 2027, and Dec. 31, 2029. That would add 2.5 times the renewable energy and battery storage systems they currently have in place.
NV Energy says the proposed resources are necessary to keep up with what they say is unprecedented growth here in the Silver State. That growth is driven primarily by large energy users, namely data centers.
The Large Load Electric Service Agreement in the proposal would prevent costs from shifting to existing customers. Instead, it would place the cost onto those large energy users.
We analyzed, 'What does Nevada's energy future look like without data center load growth and with data center load growth?' In doing so, we were able to isolate the costs associated with with serving that growth. The large load electric supply, or service agreement, ensures that those costs are shouldered by that set of customers requesting service through things like minimum, minimum bills, security requirements, advances in aid of construction that offset the utility's investment. And then, at the same time, all of that is built on the otherwise existing tariff, so that customer pays the rate that it otherwise would pay, plus some charges that are designed to protect and ensure that growth pays for itself.
Although the plan is meant to focus on affordability and the expansion of renewable energy, some conservation groups say they're skeptical about the plan.
"They're projecting that data centers alone are going to account for 64% of total energy sales, and by 2026, is that true? We don't really know," said Christi Cabrera-Georgeson, deputy director of the Nevada Conservation League. "We're really asking the PC to carefully scrutinize the utility's proposal, make sure that we do actually need all of these infrastructure projects they're asking for, and make sure that they're doing everything they can to lower customer bills."
Elicegui says the planning process is a complicated one, but they've taken an approach to ensure that the growth pays for itself so that costs are not increased for existing customers.
"Nevada's growing rapidly. We think that the 2026 IRP ensures that Nevada and NV Energy is prepared to expand renewables, maintain reliability, and has safeguards for customers every step of the way," he said.
And for those customers, affordability is top of mind. On Tuesday, more than 100 people showed up to the Public Utilities Commission building for their annual General Consumer Session.
They urged regulators to reconsider NV Energy's daily demand charge, which would base part of a customer's bill on their highest 15 minutes of electricity use during the day. NV Energy maintains that the charge is not a rate increase, and says most customers are expected to benefit under the new structure.
As for the Integrated Resource Plan, Wednesday's meeting is just a pre-hearing conference with the PUC. NV Energy says it anticipates more hearings will take place in August or September, and a final decision will be made by the end of the year.
The full filing for the triennial integrated resource plan can be read below:
