Opportunity for Nevada to Improve How EV Chargers Connect to the Grid

Earlier this month, Nevada utility NV Energy hosted the first in a series of public workshops aimed at improving the grid connection process for electric vehicle (EV) chargers. These workshops, a result of IREC's advocacy, offer an exciting opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback on the service connection process, also known as the energization process.

The workshops stem from a December 2024 order by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) in Docket No. 24-05041. In its order, the PUCN agreed with IREC that NV Energy should prioritize stakeholder engagement and grid transparency in its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which lays out the utility's forecasted energy needs and supplies over the next three years. IREC's testimony during the docket proceedings focused on NV Energy's processes for connecting medium- and heavy-duty EV (MHDEV) charging equipment to the grid.

To meet the order's requirements, NV Energy will host at least four in-depth public workshops dedicated to NV Energy's Rule 9, which governs how the utility will design and construct electric line extensions, including those necessary to meet customers' requests for new or modified electric connections. These workshops will be used to gather customer input, identify areas for improvement, and suggest solutions that will help NV Energy create a more streamlined, efficient, and accelerated process for energizing EV chargers.

Robust participation is critical in this stakeholder process. IREC encourages stakeholders to attend as many workshops as possible, share challenges they have faced, and provide input on ways to address process delays and improve the customer experience.

EVs Are Key to Meeting Nevada's Clean Energy Goals

Since 2021, Nevada has been working toward the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions across the state by 2050 (Senate Bill 448). In 2022, Nevada joined seventeen other states in signing the Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which commits Nevada to working with other signatories to increase the number of electric and other zero-emission vehicles to at least 30% of newly sold medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2030, and 100% by 2050.

In 2023, the Nevada legislature passed Assembly Bill 184, which mandated federal Carbon Reduction Program funds to incentivize businesses to replace fossil-fueled trucks with MHDEVs. Soon after, it passed Assembly Bill 262, which required transitioning all publicly-owned vehicles to zero-emission by 2025.

Nevada is accelerating the electrification of the transportation sector on multiple fronts, including the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada's mandate that utilities comply with Senate Bill 448. According to NV Energy's Transportation Electrification Plan, "by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the Transportation Electrification Plan (TEP) will help our state attain its clean air goals. Leading the country in transportation electrification will help position Nevada to attract more EV-related investment, helping to build a resilient and innovative economy."

Using Customer Experience to Improve EV Charging Equipment Energization

In learning about the customer experience through multiple workshops, NV Energy is offering a new and unique opportunity for those in the EV charging market to help improve energization processes and better meet customer needs throughout. IREC believes the following workshop goals will result in useful and actionable feedback.

• Understanding and assessing the current customer experience by hearing what the energization process is like for you, both in Nevada and elsewhere, and learning what has been positive and what has been challenging.

• Understanding the unique needs of MHDEV developers in the energization process with at least one workshop dedicated to their feedback.

• Clarifying processes and creating timelines for non-standard projects based on customer needs. Non-standard projects are electric line extensions that require a new connection or infrastructure upgrade.

• Clarifying the upgrade construction process. By sharing your experiences and satisfaction with the construction process, NV Energy can consider customer needs, such as realistic and accelerated timelines, during construction.

• Improving energy equity by considering the importance of transportation electrification to low-income and vulnerable communities who suffer the worst effects of medium- and heavy-duty truck diesel pollution.

• Examining how to avoid costly grid upgrades with flexible interconnection, which refers to strategically managing the flow of electricity between the grid and a distributed energy resource (DER) like an EV charging station, and helping to prevent grid overloads that cause blackouts.

Your Participation Can Make an Impact

We invite you to contact IREC to participate in one or more workshops and to share this opportunity with others. Send an email to info@irecusa.org to let us know you're interested.

Given Nevada's commitments to reducing emissions and increasing EV adoption, EV charger service requests are bound to increase. While many other states are experiencing energization project delays and backlogs, Nevada has the unique opportunity to improve process efficiencies and address challenges early.

This proactive approach will help avoid delays and ultimately allow Nevada to connect EV chargers to the grid more quickly. Improving the energization process through these workshops will depend on engagement from a broad set of stakeholders. IREC looks forward to collaborating with NV Energy and others to meaningfully advance transportation electrification in the state.