LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada voted to maintain NV Energy's daily demand charge during a meeting on Tuesday morning.
Nevada regulators met on Tuesday to review reconsideration petitions on the decision that sparked controversy among customers and advocacy groups.
NV Energy released a statement to Channel 13 regarding the PUCN's decision:
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission delivered a decision today that reaffirms a commitment to fairness for customers that do not have rooftop solar by implementing a new demand charge for Southern Nevada residential and small commercial customers beginning on April 1, 2026. This change creates more equity in the system by making sure solar customers share the cost of keeping the power grid strong and reliable for everyone.
Chispa Nevada, a league of conservation voters that builds the power of Latine communities to fight for clean air, energy and environment, issued the following statement regarding PUCN's decision:
“The Public Utilities Commission has turned their back on Nevada families. Today’s refusal to reconsider their terrible decision shows how out of touch they are with the Nevadans they serve.
New demand charges are a tax on working families who can’t control their schedules and when they need to use electricity. Commissioners heard from hundreds of NV Energy customers who can’t afford another rate increase, and they still sided with the corporation. Nevada’s affordability crisis is only getting worse.
We need state lawmakers to act now to restore fair and predictable rates.”
The daily demand charge calculates the highest amount of energy used in a 15-minute period per day and multiplies it by the current kilowatt-hour rate. For the average customer, NV Energy estimates this would amount to roughly $20 a month.
According to an NV Energy spokesperson we spoke with in September, the average NV Energy customer should not expect to see a significant difference in their bill.
NV Energy says the daily demand charge for rooftop solar customers helps "fix an inequity between rooftop solar customers and non-rooftop solar customers by ensuring everyone contributes fairly to the grid we all rely on. Rooftop solar customers will see monthly bills increase—on average, about $12 per month."
