Utility Companies Back Lombardo As Ford Fights to Stop Their Demand Charge Price Hike
A new report found that Joe Lombardo’s campaign is being paid for by the same companies implementing a demand charge price hike set to increase Nevadans’ bills by hundreds of dollars a year. Meanwhile, Attorney General Aaron Ford is fighting to stop those companies from implementing Lombardo’s demand charge.
The nonpartisan Energy & Policy Institute found that Lombardo took in a whopping $40,000 from utility companies in the first quarter of 2026, over five times the median amount these utilities gave to other candidates. The utility companies funneled these big-money donations to the Lombardo campaign and allied PACs after Lombardo appointed pro-utility commissioners to the Nevada Public Utilities Commission, who then voted to raise Nevadans’ energy bills by hundreds of dollars a year with their demand charge price hike.
In contrast, Attorney General Aaron Ford sued to stop Lombardo’s demand charge from increasing Nevadans’ bills. Ford’s lawsuit is the latest in his history of actions to recover stolen energy money for Nevada consumers: he previously sued the Trump administration to recover $156 million in Solar for All funds that Trump stole from Nevadans.
As Governor, Ford will halt Lombardo’s demand charge and fight to protect Nevadans from energy price hikes instead of siding with the companies raising prices. He will also work alongside unions and renewable energy groups to deliver affordable energy for Nevada families.
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Energy & Policy Institute: Nevada utilities back Lombardo in governor’s race
Throughout 2025 and this year to date, the sitting governor received some of NV Energy and Southwest Gas’s highest contributions to any candidate.
NV Energy gave Lombardo’s campaign six times the utility’s median contribution to other candidates in the same period, and Southwest Gas gave five times its median contribution. Neither utility contributed to any other candidate in Nevada’s gubernatorial race to date.
Lombardo has remained silent on his course of action regarding the demand charge, while the state’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, run by current Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford, is challenging the PUCN’s decision.
Southwest Gas has benefited from Lombardo’s governorship. The gas utility was one of the largest funders to the governor’s 2022 campaign, and early in his tenure, Lombardo appointed former SWG lobbyist Dwayne McClinton as Director of the Governor’s Office of Energy (GOE).
KLAS: AG sues NV Energy over demand charge, calls it unlawful
“I have sued to end the demand charge, because I believe that it is unlawful and that it is harmful to Nevadans,” Attorney General Ford said.
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