Nevada Question 6, Renewable Energy Standards Initiative (2020)
| Nevada Renewable Energy Standards Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Energy | |
| Status On the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Nevada Renewable Energy Standards Initiative was on the ballot in Nevada as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2020.
| A "yes" vote supported this initiative to require electric utilities to acquire 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030. |
| A "no" vote opposed this initiative, thus keeping the existing requirement that electric utilities acquire 25 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2025. |
In 2018, the ballot initiative was approved as Question 6. In Nevada, however, initiated constitutional amendments need to be approved in two even-numbered election years, meaning that the ballot initiative needed to be approved in 2018 and again in 2020 to amend the Nevada Constitution.
Overview
What would the ballot initiative change about energy policy in Nevada?
Question 6 would increase the state's renewable portfolio standards (RPS). An RPS is a mandate that electric utilities acquire a minimum amount of electricity from renewable energy sources. As of 2018, Nevada's RPS was 25 percent by 2025. Question 6 would increase the RPS to 50 percent by 2030. The initiative would define renewable energy to include sources such as solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric. Specifically, Question 6 would require an increased RPS each year until reaching 50 percent in 2030.[1]
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article 4, Nevada Constitution
The ballot initiative would add a new section to Article 4 of the Nevada Constitution. The following text would be added:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
1. Statement of Policy
The People of the State of Nevada declare that it is the policy of this State that people and entities that sell electricity to retail customers in this State be required to get an increasing amount of their electricity from renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal, and wind. Increasing renewable energy will reduce the State’s reliance on fossil fuel-fired power plants, which will benefit Nevadans by improving air quality and public health, reducing water use, reducing exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices and supply disruptions, and providing a more diverse portfolio of resources for generating electricity. This Act shall be liberally construed to achieve this purpose.
2. Implementation
(a) Each provider of electric utility service that is engaged in the business of selling electricity to retail customers for consumption in this State shall generate or acquire electricity from renewable energy resources, including solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, and waterpower, in an amount that is:
- (i) For calendar years 2022 and 2023, not less than 26 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.
- (ii) For calendar years 2024 through 2026, inclusive, not less than 34 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.
- (iii) For calendar years 2027 through 2029, inclusive, not less than 42 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.
- (iv) For calendar year 2030 and each calendar year thereafter, not less than 50 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.
(b) Not later than July 1, 2021, the Legislature shall provide, by law, for provisions consistent with this Act to implement the requirements specified in subparagraph (a).
3. Severability
Should any part of this Act be declared invalid, or the application thereof to any person, thing or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions or application of this Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Act are declared to be severable. This subsection shall be construed broadly to preserve and effectuate the declared purpose of this Act.[2]
Background
Senate Bill 358
On March 18, 2019, Nevada Senator Chris Brooks (D-Las Vegas) introduced Senate Bill 358 (SB 358), which was designed to require electric utilities to acquire 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030. On April 16, the Nevada State Senate approved the bill in a unanimous vote. On April 19, the Nevada State Assembly approved the bill in a unanimous vote. On April 22, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed SB 358 into law.[3]
In his testimony before the Nevada Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure, Sen. Brooks, said, "In 2018, the voters of Nevada decisively advanced, by a 60-40% margin, Question 6—a constitutional amendment that would move our State towards a 50 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard. If approved again in 2020, it would become a part of the state's constitution. I am introducing Senate Bill 358 in the spirit of this ballot initiative. It declares that this Legislature is committed to a robust renewable portfolio standard and establishes a more comprehensive ramp-up to 50% within the next decade."[4][3]
RPS laws in the U.S.
As of 2020, 29 states had renewable portfolio standards (RPS). An RPS is a mandate to electric utilities to generate a minimum amount of electricity from eligible renewable energy sources. California, Hawaii, and New Mexico had the highest future requirement, as of 2018, at 100 percent by 2045. The following list provides details on the different state RPS laws:[5]
| State | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 15% | 2025 |
| California | 100% | 2045 |
| Colorado | 30% (IOUs) or 10%-20% (municipalities and co-ops) | 2020 |
| Connecticut | 27% | 2020 |
| Delaware | 25% | 2025-2026 |
| Hawaii | 100% | 2045 |
| Illinois | 25% | 2025-2026 |
| Iowa | 105 MW (IOUs) | N/A |
| Maine | 40% | 2017 |
| Maryland | 20% | 2022 |
| Massachusetts | 15%+1% each year thereafter (Class I) and 5.5% (Class II) | 2020 |
| Michigan | 15% | 2021 |
| Minnesota | 26.5% (IOUs) and 25% (other utilitites) | 2025 |
| Missouri | 15% (IOUs) | 2021 |
| Montana | 15% | 2015 |
| Nevada | 50% | 2030 |
| New Hampshire | 24.8% | 2025 |
| New Jersey | 24.5% | 2020 |
| New Mexico | 100% | 2045 |
| New York | 50% | 2030 |
| North Carolina | 12.5% (IOUs) and 10% (municipalities and co-ops) | 2021 (IOUs) and 2018 (municipalities and co-ops) |
| Ohio | 25% | 2026 |
| Oregon | 50% (utilities with 3 percent or more of the state’s load) and 10% (utilities with 1.5–3 percent of the state's load) and 5% (utilities with less than 1.5% of the state’s load) | 2040 (utilities with 3% or more of the state’s load) and 2025 (utilities with 3% or less of the state's load) |
| Texas | 10,000 MW | 2025 |
| Pennsylvania | 18% | 2020-2021 |
| Vermont | 75% | 2032 |
| Virginia | 100% | 2045 |
| Washington | 15% | 2020 |
| Wisconsin | 10% | 2015 |
RPS on the ballot
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| Policy | |||
| Energy policy | |||
| Ballot Measures | |||
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| By year | |||
Not on ballot
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Between 2004 and 2018, voters in seven states had voted on ballot measures related to renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Four (57 percent) of the ballot measures were approved, and three (43 percent) were defeated.
The first state to set an RPS via ballot measure was Colorado in 2004, when voters approved Initiative 37. In 2006, voters in Washington passed Initiative 937. California Proposition 7 was defeated in 2006. The state Democratic and Republican parties both opposed Proposition 7, as did the Sierra Club and California Chamber of Commerce. In 2008, voters in Missouri approved Proposition C.
Voters in Michigan rejected Proposal 3 in 2012, which would have increased the state's RPS. In 2018, a ballot initiative was proposed to increase Michigan's RPS to 30 percent. However, the campaign behind the ballot initiative was suspended after a compromise was struck with two of the state's largest utilities—DTE Energy Co. and Consumers Energy Co. The companies committed to producing 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.
Along with the proposal in Michigan, the group NextGen Climate Action funded campaigns supporting ballot initiatives in Arizona and Nevada in 2018. Arizona Proposition 127 was defeated and, as of 2018, was the most expensive ballot measure in the state's history. Voters in Nevada approved Nevada Question 6, but, as an initiated constitutional amendment requiring two votes, the ballot initiative was placed on the ballot again in 2020.
| Initiative | Year | Requirement | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Initiative 37 | 2004 | 10% by 2015 | 
|
| Washington Initiative 937 | 2006 | 15% by 2020 |
|
| California Proposition 7 | 2008 | 50% by 2025 | 
|
| Missouri Proposition C | 2008 | 15% by 2021 |
|
| Michigan Proposal 3 | 2012 | 25% by 2025 |
|
| Arizona Proposition 127 | 2018 | 50% by 2030 |
|
| Nevada Question 6 | 2018 | 50% by 2030 |
|
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Nevada, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the most recent general election. Moreover, signature gathering must be distributed equally among each of the state's four congressional districts. The initial filing of an initiated constitutional amendment cannot be made before September 1 of the year preceding the election year. The signature petitions must be filed with county officials by the third Tuesday in June of an even-numbered year. The final submission of signatures to the secretary of state must be made at least 90 days before the next regular general election. Initiated constitutional amendments that qualify for the ballot must be approved at two consecutive general elections.
The requirements to get an initiated constitutional amendment certified for the 2018 ballot and the next even-yeared election ballot:
- Signatures: 112,543 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was June 19, 2018.
Signatures are verified by county clerks using a random sampling method if more than 500 signatures were submitted in that county. If enough signatures are submitted and verified, the initiative goes on the next general election ballot. If approved at the first election, it goes on the next general election ballot.
Details about the initiative
On February 6, 2018, the committee Nevadans for a Clean Energy Future filed the ballot initiative.[6] On June 18, 2018, supporters filed more than 230,000 signatures for the ballot initiative. At least 112,543 signatures (48.9 percent) need to be valid for the initiative to make the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018.[7] On July 12, 2018, Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske announced that 133,005 signatures were valid, certifying the ballot initiative to appear on the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018.[8] As the ballot initiative was approved in 2018, as Question 6, the ballot initiative was again certified for the November 3, 2020, general election.[9]
Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired Fieldworks, LLC to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $1,402,142.75 was spent to collect the 112,543 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $12.46.
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Nevada
Poll times
Registration requirements
Voter ID requirements
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nevada Secretary of State, "Initiative Petition," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nevada State Legislature, "SB 358," accessed April 22, 2019
- ↑ Nevada State Legislature, "SB358 Bill Remarks," accessed February 29, 2020
- ↑ NCSL, "State Renewable Portfolio Standards and Goals," February 1, 2019
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Intent to Circulate," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "Nevadans for a Clean Energy Future," accessed June 18, 2018
- ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Renewable energy measure qualifies for Nevada ballot," July 12, 2018
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun, "Nevada ballot questions: Voters reject breaking up NV Energy, pass Marsy’s Law," November 7, 2018
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