With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, communities across the country are seeing an unprecedented influx of federal dollars and job creation in conservation and climate action. Now referred to as the Clean Energy Plan, this is the single largest investment ever made to combat climate change, providing Nevada with the guaranteed funding and competitive grant opportunities to help meet our climate and clean energy goals. The 2023 Legislature focused on policy and budget initiatives to help harness these historic investments from the Clean Energy Plan. Major highlights include:
-
The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program provides $350 million for projects that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity, covering up to 95% of a project’s costs. The Nevada Wildlife Crossing Fund and accompanying $5 million appropriation created through AB 112 positions the state to seek and leverage these federal funds.
-
AB 184 establishes the Nevada Clean Trucks and Buses Incentive Program, providing $4 million per year in financial incentives to accelerate electric vehicle use in the medium to heavy-duty transportation sector, which includes delivery vans, school buses, and semi-trucks. The incentives are made possible by new federal funding dedicated to reducing climate pollution from vehicles. This program, coupled with other financial incentives, will make these electric vehicles more accessible to Nevada’s businesses, agencies, and school districts.
-
The Legislature also provided $1 million to the Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF), our state’s green bank. Unlike other green banks, NCEF has no ongoing state support. They will use this funding for key staff capacity to launch lending programs and seek a portion of $28 billion in funds aimed at green banks nationwide. NCEF is working to lower financial barriers and increase access to clean energy benefits for our residents, our climate, and our economy.
The Clean Energy Plan is already working, with more than $9 billion in investment and 11,000 clean energy jobs announced in Nevada since its passage. But there is more work to do at both the state and local levels to ensure we seize this historic opportunity. The Governor’s Office of Energy will be able to access nearly $100 million through the home energy rebate programs to help residents save thousands of dollars by upgrading their homes and appliances to be cleaner and more energy efficient. The Solar For All program is a $7 billion fund to help make solar energy more accessible for all communities, and NCEF is working to apply on behalf of Nevada.
As this funding becomes available, it’s important for state and local agencies to coordinate with each other, tribal governments, the conservation community, and clean energy businesses in applying and developing plans for these programs and ensuring every community sees the greatest possible benefits.