NV Energy customers demanded affordable and predictable rates and accountability for the monopoly utility at Consumer Session
LAS VEGAS — Working Nevadans and NV Energy customers spoke out against unaffordable bills and corporate greed ahead of a Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) Consumer Session on the monopoly utility’s 2025 rate increase request.
For the third year in a row, NV Energy is seeking to increase rates for Nevada customers. The corporation is asking the PUCN to approve an increase in their annual profits by $216 million — twice what they requested last time — and raise their guaranteed return on equity from 9.5% to 10.25%. This will raise customer bills an average of $15 each month.
Customers who struggle paying high bills, have been disconnected from service, and who live on a fixed or single-parent income shared how NV Energy’s proposal would force them to forego other necessities and push them further into debt. After eight Nevadans spoke at the press conference, over 50 community members headed into the PUCN Consumer Session to voice their concerns to Commissioner Tammy Cordova.
“Last year, NV Energy cut off my electricity because I was $41 short of the monthly payment. I had to pawn several pieces of jewelry and other items to catch up on the bills,” said Jacqueline Banderas, member of Chispa Nevada. “This also happened to my mom, who was disconnected for owing just $1. As a company, NV Energy is merciless. Especially in the summer, when air conditioning isn’t a luxury but a necessity. Now they want to raise rates again and also change how electricity costs are calculated. We urge the Commission not to allow these changes. Nevada’s working families deserve a chance at a life with dignity. It’s time to tell NV Energy enough is enough.”
“I live on a disability income, but I still find ways to support my family and volunteer in my community. Like so many Nevadans, I’ve had to cut back on basic needs just to afford my energy bill. We now cook only a few times a week to save electricity—it’s not just about conservation anymore, it’s about survival,” said Lily Becerra, member of Make the Road Nevada. “Meanwhile, NV Energy overcharged us $17 million and still wants to raise our rates again. Enough is enough. The PUCN is supposed to protect us, not enable corporate greed. No more rate hikes—not until every cent is returned, and families like mine get the respect and fairness we deserve.”
Just last month, a shocking report by PUCN staff uncovered that NV Energy had overcharged at least 80,000 customers more than $17 million over 23 years, refusing to offer full refunds and without alerting the Commission. NV Energy’s CEO resigned the following week as the Commission undertakes a full investigation.
“Everyone should be able to meet their basic necessities. But thanks to NV Energy’s greed, we have outrageous utility bills that keep us from that. But we’ve had enough! Enough of being forced to choose between essential medication and keeping the lights on, and enough of low-quality service like accidentally overcharging customers for years,” said Isaias Gallegos, PLAN volunteer and small business owner. “Should this rate increase go through, it will result in increased monthly bills for families already struggling to afford electricity and diminished benefits for rooftop solar panels, which will punish the eco-friendly choices families like mine have made.”
Additionally, NV Energy wants to institute new “demand charges” that would change how customers are billed for their energy use — not for their overall monthly use, but for use during “peak times” — adding another $20 to $38 in monthly fees and making bills more unpredictable and confusing.
“NV Energy asked for a 9% rate increase to raise the profits for their shareholders. They asked for Daily Demand Pricing that will charge us for our highest 15-minute usage each day, even if we are the textbook definition of energy efficiency the rest of the day. They did this when we already face some of the highest energy costs in the country, when we’ve heard countless stories from Nevadans who struggle with bills so high that they cut back on groceries or push off buying life-saving medicine, when our families have pleaded for relief,” said Camalot Todd, the communications director of the Nevada Conservation League. “There’s a single thread that runs through all of these stories — that NV Energy’s greed is insatiable and it’s time we said enough.”
The utility is also seeking to change net metering — the policy that credits solar customers for excess energy they send back to the grid — by switching from monthly calculations to every 15 minutes. This would slash credits from the full retail rate to just 75 percent, making solar less financially attractive for new customers. This would increase monthly bills for solar customers by about $11.
“I saved for years and finally was able to invest $30,000 in my rooftop solar system,” said Tracy Puckett, member of Solar United Neighbors (SUN). “That’s infrastructure that benefits not only my household, but my neighbors and the entire energy grid, and I made it based on the net metering rules that were in place at the time. The changes that NV Energy is now proposing will devalue every solar installation in Nevada and make it much harder for other families to go solar. I’m a retiree on a fixed income. There’s not going to be more income to cover these additional costs if they are approved. And if this stands to impact me, I can’t imagine what it will do to hardworking families who are already struggling with high energy bills, and having to make impossible decisions between feeding their families or keeping the lights on.”
If approved, new rates would take effect October 1, 2025, and new demand charges in April 2026.
“NV Energy — the single largest polluter in the state — continues to build natural gas power plants against the wishes of the people of Nevada,” said Vinny Spotleson, chair of the executive committee of the Toiyabe chapter of the Sierra Club. “We shouldn’t be charged extra because their forecasts of the costs were wrong. NV Energy should pay for their mistakes.”
“As a mother of two, I’m deeply concerned about NV Energy’s proposed 9% rate hike and daily demand charges that would further push families into energy insecurity,” said Mary Wagner, Nevada Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force. “Families are already struggling with soaring utility bills—this rate increase would force impossible choices between essentials like food, medicine, and keeping the lights on. The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada must reject this proposal and prioritize the well-being of Nevada families over corporate profits.”
“Nevadans are done with NV Energy’s greed. Year after year, the investor-owned utility company raises rates, leaving customers trapped with skyrocketing bills. While families struggle, NV Energy reports record profits, then demands more. This is injustice,” said Hector Arreola, Policy Fellow for the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition (NEJC). “Nevadans deserve clean, reliable, and affordable energy — not higher bills. The PUCN has a clear choice: Will they enable corporate greed, or will they defend hardworking Nevadans?”
At the Consumer Session, approximately 50 NV Energy customers spoke, overwhelmingly opposed to NV Energy’s rate proposal. The PUCN had anticipated such strong community opposition to NV Energy’s rate increase request that they booked a larger meeting space at the county government offices to host the Consumer Session, rather than at the smaller PUCN offices.
The press conference was co-hosted by community organizations Chispa Nevada, Make the Road Nevada (MRNV), and Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) and also included the Nevada Conservation League, Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition, Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres, Solar United Neighbors and the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter.
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