NV Energy is taking applications through Nov. 30 for a program that matches customers' power use with renewable energy

What happened

NV Energy has opened enrollment for its NV GreenEnergy Rider program, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 30 from both residential and business customers.

The program lets participants pay an extra charge so that their electricity use is offset with energy from renewable resources. According to the Sun, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada approved the updated version of the program in 2021.

How the program works

The program has two options, and which one a customer can choose depends on the size of their electricity demand. The Sun cited the utility's tariff for Southern Nevada for many of the program details.

Option for all customers

The first option draws on renewable facilities that already exist. It is open to every customer class, including residential, commercial and industrial users. Participants can choose to have either 50% or 100% of their monthly electricity use matched with energy from those existing facilities.

Option for large commercial users

The second option relies on new renewable resources and is limited to large commercial customers with average annual demand of 1 megawatt or more. Those customers work with NV Energy to identify a new renewable resource and assign it to serve their load. They must sign a special contract that is filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada for approval, along with the resource itself if it has not already been approved.

How much renewable energy is available

According to NV Energy, the initial allotments include up to 50,990 megawatt-hours for Northern Nevada customers and 106,000 megawatt-hours for Southern Nevada customers. The utility said that is enough to serve about 57 megawatts of demand combined.

How capacity is split

Most of the capacity is set aside for businesses. About 54 megawatts will go to commercial customers, with 16 megawatts in Northern Nevada and 38 megawatts in Southern Nevada. The remaining 3 megawatts will go to residential customers, including 1 megawatt in Northern Nevada and 2 megawatts in Southern Nevada.

What happens if demand is high

NV Energy said it will guarantee an allotment to each eligible applicant if total interest in a service territory is less than the energy available there. If demand exceeds available capacity in either the Nevada Power or Sierra Pacific Power service territory, the utility will hold a lottery to assign allotments, the Sun reported.

Contracts, terms and pricing

Customers who are accepted must sign a Renewable Energy Agreement. It covers the resource option chosen, the contract term, pricing, and compliance and implementation terms. NV Energy said it will offer a standardized contract that does not need additional regulatory approval.

Enrollment rules

Under the tariff, business customers must enroll for at least 12 months. Residential enrollment renews automatically until the customer cancels. Customers who end an agreement early go back to their standard rate and cannot enroll in future open seasons.

What participants pay

NV Energy said pricing will depend on the costs of the underlying renewable resources. Participants pay their regular rates plus a renewable resource rate, which is updated each year and cannot be zero or negative, according to the tariff.

Program limits will be capped based on a filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. The Sun reported that pricing and program limits will take effect July 1, or later if needed, and stay in place through June 30, 2028.

What to watch next

• Applications for the NV GreenEnergy Rider are due by Nov. 30.
• If interest exceeds available capacity in the Nevada Power or Sierra Pacific Power territory, NV Energy will assign allotments by lottery.
• A filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada that will set program limits is due on or before April 15.
• Pricing and program limits are scheduled to take effect July 1, or a later date if necessary, and run through June 30, 2028.