Introduction

A 2024 study found that almost a quarter of Nevadans are unable to afford their electric bills. With mandatory demand charges threatening to raise utility costs and Trump’s recent cuts to solar programs and energy jobs, Nevada needs a Governor who’s willing to fight back. As Nevada begins to feel the impact of the cuts to programs like Solar for All, which would have lowered costs for 50,000 Nevadans and created nearly 1,000 new jobs, NV Energy is gearing up to raise costs on Nevadans through a demand charge based on a customer’s highest 15-minute period of energy usage in the day.

As Governor, Aaron Ford will prioritize delivering clean and affordable energy to Nevada and building Nevada’s energy workforce. He will stand up to the utility companies that are currently raising costs on residents through demand charges and support the jobs that data centers bring to our state while requiring them to pay their fair share for their increased energy demand and commit to conserving water. By facilitating residential solar installation and energy efficiency incentives, Ford will balance affordability and sustainability to lower costs for all Nevadans.

Section 1: Hold Companies Accountable

As Attorney General, Aaron Ford fought back against NV Energy’s unlawful mandatory demand charge, and as Governor, Ford will remain focused on preventing any arbitrary efforts to raise household costs on Nevadans. Aaron Ford understands that rate changes and hikes are confusing to navigate, costly to Nevada families, and his energy plan will protect ratepayers by preventing unlawful rate hikes, appointing consumer advocates to the Public Utilities Commission and empowering the Commission to enforce recommendations.

• Halt mandatory demand charges: Energy regulators recently upheld NV Energy’s move to implement a daily demand rate, which would make the company the first investor-owned utility in the country to apply a mandatory demand charge on its residential customers. This practice will raise costs on Nevadans and disincentivize residential solar installation. As Governor, Ford will put a stop to it.
  
  

• Empower the commission and appoint commissioners focused on lowering costs: As Governor, Ford will appoint members to the Public Utilities Commission who are tasked with lowering utility costs for working families in Nevada. Ford will also work with legislators to empower the commission to enforce their recommendations and strengthen the functionality of the commission.
  

Section 2: Build Our Electrical Grid and Deliver Clean and Affordable Energy for Nevadans

Investing in clean energy development is a top priority for Aaron Ford—not only to boost Nevada’s economy and protect our land and water from pollution, but also to create good-paying union jobs and make energy more affordable in the long term. As Governor, Aaron Ford will address the economic damage caused by Trump’s solar cuts by working with state groups to facilitate residential solar installation, promote efficiency incentives, and streamline regulatory approvals to bring new projects online quickly. And as part of his laser focus on bringing costs down for Nevadans, Ford will ensure that companies seeking to build AI data centers in Nevada don’t pass the costs of their increased energy usage to ratepayers.

• Create good-paying union energy jobs: Aaron Ford championed prevailing wage standards as a State Senator, and he will continue that commitment as Governor to make sure that energy projects in Nevada employ the most skilled and efficient workers possible. Ford will support Project Labor Agreements and Community Benefits Agreements at energy projects so that local Nevadans benefit from the jobs created by energy investment.
  
  

• Prevent data centers from raising costs on Nevadans: Ford knows that we don’t have to choose between creating new data center jobs and keeping energy costs down—he will fight for both by holding corporations accountable, the way he’s done as Attorney General. As Governor, Ford will require that data centers commit to paying for the energy they consume and building out the additional electrical grid infrastructure needed to deliver it. 
  
  

• Promote residential solar installation: With its abundant sunshine, Nevada is a leader in solar energy utilization, ranking fourth in the nation for total electricity generation from utility and small-scale solar resources in 2024.  The Big Beautiful Bill’s cuts to solar tax credits and the state’s increasing demand for solar could mean a $289 increase in annual energy costs for Nevada households by 2030. As Governor, Ford will work with state organizations like the Nevada Clean Energy Fund to implement and encourage uptake of programs that lower upfront costs and reduce monthly electric bills for homeowners and renters. Ford will also work with energy unions to create good energy jobs in solar that prioritize hiring local Nevadans.
  
  

• Assist Nevadans in taking advantage of efficiency incentives: As Governor, Ford will work with NV Energy to ensure that all eligible Nevadans are taking advantage of resources available to bring down costs, like smart thermostat rebates and free home energy assessments.  Ford will also drive awareness of union apprenticeship opportunities in the energy sector to build Nevada’s energy workforce and ensure that local Nevadans can access good union jobs.
  
  

• Streamline regulatory approvals: As Governor, Ford will cut through red tape to fast-track new energy projects and improvements to the electrical grid and put Nevadans to work building them out. He will do this by streamlining the regulatory processes to bring new solar and battery projects online quickly, establishing clear timelines for approval, power purchase agreements, permitting decisions and implementation. As a champion of unions and workers, Ford will lend his full support to ensuring that new energy projects are union.
  

Section 3: Fight Back Against Trump’s Energy Policies That Raise Costs for Nevadans

• Direct state agencies to analyze affordability opportunities: As Governor, Ford will direct state agencies to identify new opportunities to reduce energy costs for Nevadans and maximize affordable energy programs in the state.
  
  

• Push back against Trump administration’s higher energy costs: The Trump administration slashed solar funding that would have lowered power bills for 50,000 Nevadans and created 1,000 jobs in Nevada. Funding cuts have also had a devastating impact on our tribes. The Walker River Paiute Tribe’s climate resiliency plan would have weatherized 150 homes before the Trump administration cancelled the grant to make it possible.
  
  As Attorney General, Ford sued the Trump administration over these cuts. As Governor, Ford will continue to hold this administration accountable for any action that threatens the potential for a more affordable Nevada.