Nevada Clean Energy Fund Advances Clean Energy Access with Federal Support and Community Collaboration
Las Vegas, NV– This week, the Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) hosted a roundtable discussion with Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, Congressman Steven Horsford, and community leaders in Nevada to discuss opportunities for federal funds to advance clean energy access and lower utility bills.
The event featured the announcement of NCEF’s Community Solar Program. Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected NCEF for a $156 million Solar for All award to provide solar benefits to low-income households in Nevada. As part of this award, NCEF will launch a Community Solar Program that partners with local governments, schools, nonprofits, Tribes, utilities, and local businesses to combine Solar for All funds with federal tax credits to build community solar projects that share the energy cost savings with low-income households. This approach will unlock solar benefits for low-income households and renters who often bear the greatest energy cost burdens but who face significant barriers to accessing solar. In addition to a Community Solar Program, NCEF plans to launch Solar for All programs for single-family homes and multifamily affordable housing.
“Seniors in my church are turning off the air conditioning during the summer and the heater during the winter due to high utility prices. Renters also need this support,” said Dr. Mary House, CEO and Co-Founder of CHR, Inc., a faith-based nonprofit organization. “This funding will bring significant change for people throughout the Vegas Valley.”
“We are making significant strides in Nevada with NCEF’s Community Solar Program, a groundbreaking initiative for the state,” said Congressman Steven Horsford. “This effort will not only create more job opportunities but also ensure that renters and homeowners are included in this important endeavor. This program will help Nevada families lower energy costs and reduce the strain on our power grid.”
“Today, we sit on the cusp of summer in one of the fastest-warming regions of the US, and in a state that has one of the highest per capita expenditures on air conditioning in the nation,” said Kirsten Stasio, CEO of NCEF. “One in four Nevadans experience some form of energy insecurity, for example, needing to forego food or medicine to pay their utility bills. Using federal tax credits and Solar for All funds, we will work to address the significant energy cost burdens experienced by Nevada’s low-income communities.”
The event took place at Nevada Partners, a community-based nonprofit organization in North Las Vegas and future community solar project host. “We are grateful for the impact these federal funds will have in our community and look forward to working with the Nevada Clean Energy Fund on this initiative,” said Lizette Guillen, Acting President and CEO of Nevada Partners.
“The City of Las Vegas, together with other collaborating local governments, supported the Nevada Clean Energy Fund’s application and the Solar for All program proposal that was recently awarded by the US EPA,” said Marco Velotta, Planning Project Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer with the City of Las Vegas. “This grant program will help support an important segment of our community – low-income households, residents of affordable housing, and multi-family housing residents who otherwise may not have direct access to clean energy.”
About the Nevada Clean Energy Fund
The Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) is a nonprofit organization that supports a thriving, affordable, and accessible clean energy economy by providing financial and technical resources to Nevadans. NCEF was established by Nevada legislation in 2017 as the state’s green bank. NCEF implements programs for diverse Nevada stakeholders, including affordable housing, Tribes, nonprofits, schools, local governments, and rural communities. Clean energy measures include building electrification and efficiency, renewable energy, clean vehicles, and others.