By Anne Macquarie, Toiyabe Chapter Legislative Chair.
Now that the dust has settled on Nevada's 2017 Legislature, here's a wrap up of Nevada's newest conservation legislation, and the bills that didn't make it.
Bad news first. Governor Sandoval vetoed AB206, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and AB392, Community Solar, two bills we worked hard on. AB159, which would have banned fracking in Nevada, was also vetoed, as was AB277, the bill to defend Red Rock Canyon from encroaching urban development. In his veto message, the governor said, "although the promise of AB206 is commendable, its adoption is premature in the face of evolving energy policy in Nevada." The governor directed the Committee on Energy Choice to study, review, and discuss an increased RPS and community solar in the face of energy choice and make a recommendation to the 2019 legislature. It will be important for clean energy advocates to follow and weigh in on the work of this committee as it goes forward.
Now the good news. Despite the setback with those bills, overall we did very well. Our top priority public lands bills passed. All clean energy bills other than AB206 and SB 392 passed. The problem water bill, AB298, was blocked. A bill-by-bill report follows. But first, some perspective.
In June, Toiyabe Chapter Director Brian Beffort, and Legislative Committee Chair Anne MacQuarie attended the Sierra Club's Chapter Assembly conference and training in Washington DC. Chapter leaders and staff from 44 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia attended the meeting, as well as national staff, including Executive Director Michael Brune and our new President Loren Blackford. Why were we all there? The Sierra Club has recognized that in light of the mess we're in at the federal level, policy solutions must come from the state and local level, so the national club is pulling out the stops to support local Sierra Club chapters and groups.
In his welcoming remarks, Michael Brune commented that earlier that afternoon he'd had a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who told him to keep up the good clean energy and environmental work the Sierra Club was doing in the states. Senator Schumer gave some examples of states where he thought the Sierra Club's work was making a difference and Nevada was one of them!
He's talking about you. Thank you to everyone who helped make this legislative session a success, for showing up at committee meetings; weighing in on the legislative website's opinion page; for writing, calling, and visiting with your representatives; for showing up at lobby days and rallies; for writing letters to the editor; for everything else you stepped up to do. You made a difference. Pat yourself on the back. You deserve that and much more.
THE SCORECARD
Energy
- AB5—supporting PACE energy programs. This bill will allow local governments to fund the up-front costs of energy improvements on commercial and residential properties, which are then paid back over time by property owners. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AJR 10 (As a resolution, does not need to be signed by governor) opposes nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain PASSED
- SB65—to improve Integrated Resource Planning. Thanks to this bill, the Public Utilities Commission and utilities will be required to consider and justify the cost and source of energy during their planning, which should increase the offering of renewable energy sources over time. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB145—to further Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage. This bill will create incentives for the installation of energy storage systems and create the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration Program, a network of charging stations along US 95 and I-80 in Nevada. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB146—Integrated Resources Planning. This bill will require utilities to plan for distributed resources (rooftop solar, community solar gardens, etc.) in their annual planning. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB150—Energy Efficiency. This bill will require NV Energy and other utilities to implement energy efficiency plans, and it allows for some cost recovery for implementing those plans. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB159—To ban hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas in the state. VETOED
- SB204—Energy Storage. This bill will require the Public Utilities Commission to establish biennial targets for utilities to procure energy storage systems. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB206—To increase the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in NV. VETOED
- AB223—Furthering energy efficiency. This bill will require utilities to plan and pursue energy efficiency projects, especially to benefit low-income customers. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB392—to promote community solar gardens, so renters and shade-afflicted people can invest in solar energy. VETOED
- SB405—to renew net-metering contracts for rooftop solar and establish a Renewable Energy Bill of Rights for consumers. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB407—Green Banks. This bill will create the Nevada Green Energy Fund, which will provide funding and speed the completion of clean energy projects. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB452 Interim energy choice study PASSED AND SIGNED
Public Lands, Planning & Wildlife
- SJR12*—to rescind SJR1 from last legislative session. SJR1 from the 2015 session urged Congress to pass legislation to transfer federally managed lands to the state. This led to Congressman Mark Amodei’s notorious HR1484 PASSED
- AJR13*—expresses the support of the Antiquities Act and the designation of Basin & Range and Gold Butte national monuments. PASSED
- SJR13* – Expresses support of the Nevada Legislature for wildlife conservation PASSED
*Being resolutions and not billS, SJR12, AJR13 AND SJR 13 did not need a Governor’s signature.
- SB194 Prohibits the sale of body parts from endangered and protected animals PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB197 Extends deadline for issuing bonds for environmental projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB277 Land use planning around natural conservation zones (Save Red Rock bill) VETOED
- SB364—Trapping Reform. This bill will improve public safety for people and their pets hiking in Nevada’s front- and backcountry, and benefit Nevada’s wildlife by requiring registration or ID on all traps, warning signs on public lands, and protecting the public for moving or disturbing traps that present a clear public risk. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB379 Authorizes local governments to create a parks, trails and open space district PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB385 Free admission to state parks for 5th graders PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB413 and AB449—to create and promote Public Lands Day in Nevada. In response to the efforts by federal and state politicians to transfer millions of acres of our beloved, federally managed public lands in Nevada to the state or highest bidders, these two bills establish September 30 as Nevada Public Lands Day. Thanks to these bills, we will have a great excuse to team up with other citizens and organizations on stewardship projects that care for our public lands; the Governor will be required to proclaim publicly the values of public lands in Nevada; and state parks will allow free admission on that day. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB429 Authorizes Urban agriculture zones PASSED AND SIGNED
Water
- SB51—Revises the process of adjudications of water rights. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB74—Enumerates the specifics of water conservation plans. And this bill revises membership (eliminate 1 member) in Western Regional Water Commission. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB138—Allows for the collection of rainwater for non-potable domestic use from single family dwellings, as well as for wildlife guzzlers with certain conditions. PASSED AND SIGNED
- SB270—Requires proof of claims for vested water rights to be submitted to the State Engineer by December 31, 2027. This applies to surface, artesian, and percolating water. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB209—Allows the State Engineer to consider declarations of drought, conservation efforts, and basin conditions in deciding on applications for extensions of time to work a forfeiture. PASSED AND SIGNED
- AB298—Revises provisions to water. This might be the biggest victory this legislature. This bill would have dangerously changed the definitions of several terms in Nevada water law and facilitated the dewatering of rural Nevada to sate the thirst of Las Vegas. Sierra Club is proud to have worked with the Great Basin Water Network and other partners to prevent this bill from passing. DID NOT PASS SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Transportation
- AB29 Establishes OHV program in Division of State Parks to administer grants to control and mitigate the effects on the landscape of OHV use PASSED AND SIGNED