City Climate.NET
This page tracks the Las Vegas metro area’s progress towards a life and economy fueled only by clean energy.
Current as of Q2 2024
Contents
3 Home Builders
4 The Casino Resorts Industry
5 Big Box Stores & Retail Centers
6 Venues, Arenas & Stadiums
7 Hospitals & Healthcare
8 College Campuses
9 Houses of Worship
10 City of Las Vegas
11 City of North Las Vegas
12 City of Henderson
13 Town of Moapa Valley
14 Clark County
15 Clark County School District
16 Nellis Air Force Base
17 Giant Parking Lots <<<<
1 NV Energy, Inc. is key to Las Vegas making a successful clean energy transition.
NV Energy, Inc. is key to Las Vegas making a successful clean energy transition.
But NV Energy has it's problems with it's angry, near-broke "consumers."
NV Energy does have x number of large solar farms in the Mojave Desert, feeding enough electricity to power x number of homes. NV Energy has X number of large solar arrays in the application, land lease, finance, or construction phases of development.
As Nevada's sole electric utility, NV Energy is at the core of Las Vegas’s clean energy transition. But in 2024, Warren Buffett's investor-forward company has a fraught relationship with the public it serves. Electricity rates are driving many Las Vegans to near-poverty, the company doesn't allow people to
and with the backing of Nevada's public utilities commission (PUCN), NV Energy does not allow businesses or non-profits to operate their own in-town community-based solar arrays.
In Nevada, a residential subdivision cannot form its own solar array to power your itself and as a homeowner, you cannot sell your home's excess solar power back to the NV Energy grid.
NV Energy is missing out on valuable partnerships it could be having with Las Vegas area communities. Across the U.S., community solar and net metering are already standard practice across U.S. electric utilities. Community solar arrays can reduce the huge load of electricity NV Energy must reliably deliver to millions of Nevadans. NV Energy (NVE) produces shareholder value, but as Las Vegas's electricity provider would do well to lighten up, change their business model, and pay attention to big-picture concerns.
But NV Energy says it is on track to meet its 2030 carbon reduction goals. The company will be generating carbon-free (clean) electricity for three million Las Vegas area residents and tens of thousands of businesses, by 2050.
NV Energy's efforts to move Las Vegas forward on its big energy transition seems off to a good start with plenty of new solar plants coming online. In 2024 this is the company's progress so far:
Twenty-six solar farms are currently generating electricity for NV Energy. The utility has 47 Solar Farm projects in some stage of planning, permitting, or financing. Third-party energy companies develop and operate most of these solar farms, under contract with NV Energy. At the end of 2030, what percentage of Las Vegas's electricity needs will be made by solar farms?
NV Energy has started leases for new solar farms on over 7,000 acres of public land in the deserts of Nevada.
Gemini Solar Project is under construction 33 miles north of Las Vegas, with completion in 2025. It'll produce electricity enough for 400,000 homes. Gemini's utility-scale batteries will keep the city buzzing at night, and even during Southern Nevada's rare cloudy days.
New transmission lines are scheduled to go into service in 2027. Greenlink Transmission Project will be the backbone of NV Energy's statewide electric grid. The $2 billion grid is designed to handle the massive amount of electricity soon to be produced by expansive new solar arrays in the Nevada desert.
Electric Vehicle Program is installing EV charge stations at regular intervals along
Seven gas-fired power plants make most of Las Vegas's electricity. The combined firepower of these massive plants satisfies most of Las Vegas’s electric needs, but spews out millions of tons of carbon emissions each year. NV Energy isn't yet committing to a scheduled decommissioning of each of these gas monsters.
nvenergy.com/about-nvenergy/our-company/power-supply
nvenergy.com/cleanenergy/renewable-energy-portfolio
quinbrook.com/quinbrook-project/gemini/
canarymedia.com/articles/solar/largest-solar-power-plant-in-us-closes-on-1-3-billion-dollar-financing
2 Electric Vehicles in Las Vegas are becoming a thing
Electric vehicle registrations in Southern Nevada are steadily increasing.
Electric Vehicle (EV) registrations in Southern Nevada (the Las Vegas metro area and surrounding desert towns) saw a 133% jump during the first year of the pandemic. Now, in 2024, it’s not uncommon to see EVs on the streets of Las Vegas. Still, the 10,700 EVs on the road in the Las Vegas region in January 2022 is only 0.89% of the estimated 1,200,000+ it will take to achieve a complete transition to EVs.
Regional Transportation Commission set until 20xx as the time when all its buses will be electric.
Police Vehicles going electric in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police District set until 20xx as the time when all their gasoline patrol vehicles will be retired.
Henderson Police Department set until 20xx as the time when all their gasoline patrol vehicles will be retired.
North Las Vegas Police Department set until 20xx as the time when all their gasoline patrol vehicles will be retired.
Chevy Blazer EV PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle) can be the City of North Las Vegas's policing vehicle of choice, as the city's older vehicles cycle out of commission.
To date, the Ford Explorer PIP (Police Interceptor Package) has been the the familiar look of North Las Vegas law enforcement.
Nevada Highway Patrol To date, the Ford Explorer PIP (Police Interceptor Package) has been the bespoke American fleet brand of the Nevada Highway Patrol.
North Las Vegas Police Department 2024 Chevy Blazer EV PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle)
Fire vehicles will eventually go electric in Las Vegas
Clark County Fire Department set 20xx as the time when all their vehicles will be electric.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue set until 20xx as the time when all their gasoline patrol vehicles will be retired.
Henderson Fire Department set until 20xx as the time when all their gasoline patrol vehicles will be retired.
Paramedics in Las Vegas will get electric ambulances
Community Ambulance says their fleet of electric ambulances and support vehicles will be complete in 2035.
Global Medical Response (ows both American Medical Response and Medic West locally) says their fleet of electric ambulances and support vehicles will be complete in 2035.
Mail and Package Delivery vehicles going electric in Las Vegas
FedEx in Las Vegas has set xx years (until 20xx) as the time it will take for its trucks to become carbon “neutral.”
Amazon in Las Vegas set xx years (until 20xx) as the time it will take for its trucks to become carbon “neutral.”
UPS in Las Vegas set xx years (until 20xx) as the time it will take for its trucks to become all electric.
United States Postal Service (USPS) in Las Vegas set xx years (until 20xx) to have an entire fleet of mail trucks.
Garbage Trucks going electric in Las Vegas
Republic Services of Southern Nevada has set xx years (until 2028) as the time it will take for 50% of its garbage truck fleet to become carbon “neutral.”
High-speed train between Las Vegas and Los Angeles will run on solar-made electricity.
Brightline West will put America's first high-speed rail line into service in 2028. The
Nevada Electric Highway
Nevada Electric Highway by Nevada Dept of Energy
3 Home Builders in Las Vegas show little interest in building zero-emissions homes
In Las Vegas there aren't any mainstream home builders who will build you a no-gas, all-electric home.
In Las Vegas, almost all existing residential units are hooked up with an expensive supply of methane gas combusted in gas-burning appliances for heating, hot water, and food prep.
DR Horton Homes, is developing
Richmond American Homes builds subdivisions
Lennar Homes will conform to code
Pulte Homes will conform to code
4 The Casino Resort industry, with it's sheer mass, makes bold moves and influences its huge supply chain.
The Largest Solar Rooftop in Las Vegas (and in Nevada) sits atop Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Mandalay Bay Convention Center is what holds up Las Vegas’s (and Nevada’s) Largest Solar Rooftop (2022). In 2021, it was the 4th-largest solar rooftop in the United States.
list.solar/plants/largest-plants/rooftop-pv/
photo: MGM Resorts
Gigantic MGM Resorts (Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Aria, Vdara, Luxor… ) gets most of its electricity from its own solar electric grid!
As of 2021, MGM Resorts no longer sources its electricity from expensive NVEnergy. Instead, MGM electrifies the thirteen Las Vegas mega-resorts it operates from it’s 640-acre solar array in the Mojave Desert outside Las Vegas. The 100-megawatt “MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array” powers the company’s 36,000 guest rooms, and 800+ acres of casinos, shopping, and large event spaces. MGM Resorts' 102 restaurants still prepare food over methane gas flames.
forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2021/06/29/mgm-resorts-doubles-down-on-las-vegas-solar-power/?sh=fb4b8e470ae4
photo: CoStar
Las Vegas’s #2 resort chain wants its suppliers to go all-electric too.
Caesars Entertainment might be able to influences the economy because it requires companies in its supply chain to set ambitious clean energy goals. Strong goals don't predict strong performance, but Caesar's does have the right idea. The giant Las Vegas-based resort chain is cutting its own emission by 35% in 2025 and 100% before 2050 (from a 2011 baseline). [A more people-friendly measurement of progress is to track the percentage of clean energy in the corporation's total energy bill. -ed]
caesars.com/corporate/corporate-social-responsibility/planet/environmental-management
Station Casinos
Station Casinos The local Las Vegas resort chain is cutting its emission by
Las Vegas Sands Corporation
Las Vegas Sands Corporation is cutting its emission by
Resorts World
Resorts World is cutting its emission by
Fountainebleu Las Vegas
Fountainebleau Las Vegas (Koch Real Estate Investments) is cutting its emission by
5 Venues, Arenas, & Stadiums in Las Vegas: Some of them are powered by clean electricity, others are planning on it.
Allegiant Stadium is home to the Las Vegas Raiders
T-Mobile Arena is home to the Vegas Golden Knights
Las Vegas Ballpark is home to the Las Vegas Aviators
Fremont Street Experience is home to NBA Summer League
Thomas & Mack Center is home to UNLV's
Cox Pavillion is home to NBA Summer League
The Sphere gets it's electricity from
6 Big-box stores & malls in Las Vegas plan on participating in the clean energy transition, but leave megawatts of sunshine uncollected in their parking lots.
Walmart has 21 Supercenters in Las Vegas and they all have
Costco's six Las Vegas locations do / do not tap their rooftops for solar energy. The company has no plan to cover their 000 acres of parking lot with solar panels.
Home Depot in Las Vegas does have
Lowes in Las Vegas does have
Target in Las Vegas does have
Best Buy in Las Vegas does have
IKEA in Las Vegas does have
7 Hospitals in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Sunrise Hospitals is making the clean energy transition
Valley Hospitals is making the clean energy transition
St. Rose Hospitals is making the clean energy transition
8 College Campuses in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
University of Nevada Las Vegas is making its transition to clean energy
Nevada State University is making its transition to clean energy
College of Southern Nevada is making its transition to clean energy
9 Houses of Worship in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Churches in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Churches in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Mosques in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Mosques in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Synagogues in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Synagogues in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Churches in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
Mosques in Las Vegas making the clean energy transition
10 City of Las Vegas has completed its energy transition
The City of Las Vegas gets ALL of its electricity from non-carbon sources.
The City of Las Vegas has a pioneering history of conserving the atmosphere. Its work on cutting carbon emissions won Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman a significant award way back in 2014 (The US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Award).
A decade later, Goodman and her city council have long since electrified all of Las Vegas's municipal operations (141 buildings, 57 parks, 27,000 streetlights., 275 vehicles,) mostly generated from city-contracted solar. This was an extraordinary achievement compared to hundreds of other large municipalities back in the early 2010s.
lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/20/las-vegas-wins-us-conference-mayors-award-green-in/ photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
lasvegasnevada.gov/Government/Initiatives/Sustainability/Sustainability-Resources?tab=0
Now, Las Vegas has a dedicated, Climate Action Plan with schedules and likely funding.
Most cities in the US have a gold-standard, municipal Climate Action Plan (CAP). Operating from a separate plan for climate change emphasizes its importance in the public and political mind. In 20xx the City of Las Vegas adopted its first-ever stand-alone CAP.
database.aceee.org/city/las-vegas-nv
graphic: localclimate.org
Wow! This is Las Vegas's bespoke City Hall with its digital neon vibe. Please note: No carbon is burnt to electrify Las Vegas City Hall. Those big flower sculpture things are actually customized solar panels that help power the City Hall complex.
The City of Las Vegas has been getting most of its electricity from a solar array in nearby Boulder City, Nevada. The rest comes from the City’s on-site solar installations, like those at City Hall, and the solar-covered parking lots at 40+ city properties. City-owned evehicle charging stations are open to the public at City Hall, city office buildings, parks, and city garages.
lasvegasnevada.gov/Government/Initiatives/Sustainability/Sustainability-Resources?tab=0
cityoflasvegas.tumblr.com/post/154385263383/mayor-announces-city-power-comes-from-100
Note: The City has not updated online info about City carbon emissions or resiliency since 2016.
photo: City of Las Vegas
First talked about way back in 2008, Las Vegas is now started (2022) on its Tree Initiative
Las Vegas residents in areas east of Maryland Parkway are paying higher energy bills and having more heat-related health issues. The area’s almost non-existent tree canopy creates extra-hot areas of the already hot urban heat island. So, in April 2022, the City and its non-profit partner Nevada Community Foundation kicked off its long-awaited “Las Vegas Tree Initiative.” The public-private partnership planted an initial batch of 250 park-ready trees. The City will plant 60,000 trees across the city, with emphasis on the east side, by 2050.
nevadacurrent.com/2022/04/29/tree-planting-program-launched-to-mitigate-a-severe-las-vegas-heat-island-effect/
bestneighborhood.org/best-neighborhoods-east-las-vegas-las-vegas-nv/
11 City of North Las Vegas is transitioning to clean energy
North Las Vegas has big plans
North Las Vegas has big plans
12 City of Henderson is making its energy transition
Henderson is the second largest municipality in the Las Vegas metro area.
Henderson is the second largest municipality in the Las Vegas metro area,
13 Rural Towns near Vegas are moving forward (or not) on clean energy
Boulder City, 10,000 folks 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas
City of Laughlin, is centered on its riverfront casino district, 60 miles south of Las Vegas. It's City has a Climate Action Plan, and it's casinos are doing...
City of Mesquite, 60 miles northwest of Las Vegas
Town of Moapa Valley is a small rural community 50 miles northwest of Las Vegas
City of Pahrump, 60,000 people 60 miles west of Las Vegas
Town of Tonopah 0,000 folks 60 miles northwest of Las Vegas
14 Clark County is all-in on its clean energy transition
Clark County has a new community-wide Climate Action Plan
Clark County has a new community-wide Climate Action Plan
Clark County started using its internal Sustainability and Climate Action Plan in 2021. The plan focuses on carbon reduction and resiliency in Clark County government’s internal operations, including county vehicles, county buildings, and county infrastructure. In late 2022, the county’s community-wide Climate Action Plan will include groups and industries beyond county government.
clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/environment_and_sustainability/sustainability/all-in_clark_county/all-in_overview.php
15 Clark County School District going electric
Clark County School District going electric
Clark County School District is going all electric
16 Nellis Air Force Base strategically makes its own clean electricity
Nellis Air Force Base makes enough solar electricity to power its ground operations. Jet fuel at the base will have to be part of the “net” in net zero
Nellis Air Force Base makes enough solar electricity to power everything on the ground during the day. Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas’s local military installation, set up an on-site photovoltaic array that powers all its ground operations’ daytime electric demand. Night time electricity comes from NVEnergy’s grid. Nellis installed its first small array early in the energy transition (2007) and added 102 acres of panels in 2015. Nellis is now the model for deploying solar at US bases across the world.
af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/558474/afs-largest-solar-array-celebrates-first-anniversary/
reviewjournal.com/business/energy/15-megawatt-solar-project-starts-at-nellis-air-force-base/
17 Parking Lots are great for making solar electricity in sunny Las Vegas
Thousands of acres of the Las Vegas Valley are covered in sun-baked parking lots that could be making megawatts of solar electricity.
But, Las Vegas has some good examples of how well solar lots can work:
Las Vegas Springs Preserve & Nevada State Museum have [ # ] acres of parking that make enough solar electricity to power most of these co-located public attractions.
Las Vegas Water District Headquarters has [ # ] acres of parking shaded by solar panels that power [ # % ] of the facility's electric needs.