1. For each provider of electric service, the Commission shall establish a portfolio standard. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 6, 8 and 9, the portfolio standard must require each provider to generate, acquire or save electricity from portfolio energy systems or efficiency measures in an amount that is:

(a) For calendar years 2005 and 2006, not less than 6 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(b) For calendar years 2007 and 2008, not less than 9 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(c) For calendar years 2009 and 2010, not less than 12 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(d) For calendar years 2011 and 2012, not less than 15 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(e) For calendar years 2013 and 2014, not less than 18 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(f) For calendar years 2015 through 2019, inclusive, not less than 20 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(g) For calendar year 2020, not less than 22 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(h) For calendar year 2021, not less than 24 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(i) For calendar years 2022 and 2023, not less than 29 percent of the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year.

(j) 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.

(k) 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.

(l) For calendar year 2030 and for 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.

2. In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection 1, the portfolio standard for each provider must require that:

(a) Of the total amount of electricity that the provider is required to generate, acquire or save from portfolio energy systems or efficiency measures:

(1) During calendar years 2013 and 2014, not more than 25 percent of that amount may be based on energy efficiency measures;

(2) During each calendar year 2015 to 2019, inclusive, not more than 20 percent of that amount may be based on energy efficiency measures;

(3) During each calendar year 2020 to 2024, inclusive, not more than 10 percent of that amount may be based on energy efficiency measures; and

(4) For calendar year 2025 and each calendar year thereafter, no portion of that amount may be based on energy efficiency measures.

If the provider intends to use energy efficiency measures to comply with its portfolio standard during any calendar year, of the total amount of electricity saved from energy efficiency measures for which the provider seeks to obtain portfolio energy credits pursuant to this paragraph, at least 50 percent of that amount must be saved from energy efficiency measures installed at service locations of residential customers of the provider, unless a different percentage is approved by the Commission.

(b) If the provider acquires or saves electricity from a portfolio energy system or efficiency measure pursuant to a renewable energy contract or energy efficiency contract with another party:

(1) The term of the contract must be not less than 10 years, unless the other party agrees to a contract with a shorter term; and

(2) The terms and conditions of the contract must be just and reasonable, as determined by the Commission. If the provider is a utility provider and the Commission approves the terms and conditions of the contract between the utility provider and the other party, the contract and its terms and conditions shall be deemed to be a prudent investment and the utility provider may recover all just and reasonable costs associated with the contract.

3. If, for the benefit of one or more retail customers in this State, the provider has paid for or directly reimbursed, in whole or in part, the costs of the acquisition or installation of a solar energy system which qualifies as a renewable energy system and which reduces the consumption of electricity, the total reduction in the consumption of electricity during each calendar year that results from the solar energy system shall be deemed to be electricity that the provider generated or acquired from a renewable energy system for the purposes of complying with its portfolio standard.

4. The Commission shall adopt regulations that establish a system of portfolio energy credits that may be used by a provider to comply with its portfolio standard.

5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, each provider shall comply with its portfolio standard during each calendar year.

6. If, for any calendar year, a provider is unable to comply with its portfolio standard through the generation of electricity from its own renewable energy systems or, if applicable, through the use of portfolio energy credits, the provider shall take actions to acquire or save electricity pursuant to one or more renewable energy contracts or energy efficiency contracts. The Commission shall exempt the provider, for that calendar year, from the remaining requirements of its portfolio standard or from any appropriate portion thereof, as determined by the Commission if the Commission determines that:

(a) For the calendar year, there is not or will not be a sufficient supply of electricity or a sufficient amount of energy savings made available to the provider pursuant to renewable energy contracts and energy efficiency contracts with just and reasonable terms and conditions, after the provider has made reasonable efforts to secure such contracts; or

(b) The provider is unable to obtain a sufficient supply of electricity to comply with the portfolio standard because of a delay in the completion of the construction of a renewable energy system, or the underperformance of an existing renewable energy system, that is under the control of a person or entity other than the provider and that was intended to provide such electricity.

7. The Commission shall adopt regulations that establish:

(a) Standards for the determination of just and reasonable terms and conditions for the renewable energy contracts and energy efficiency contracts that a provider must enter into to comply with its portfolio standard.

(b) Methods to classify the financial impact of each long-term renewable energy contract and energy efficiency contract as an additional imputed debt of a utility provider. The regulations must allow the utility provider to propose an amount to be added to the cost of the contract, at the time the contract is approved by the Commission, equal to a compensating component in the capital structure of the utility provider. In evaluating any proposal made by a utility provider pursuant to this paragraph, the Commission shall consider the effect that the proposal will have on the rates paid by the retail customers of the utility provider.

8. For the purposes of subsection 1, for calendar year 2019 and for each calendar year thereafter, the total amount of electricity sold by a provider to its retail customers in this State during a calendar year does not include the amount of electricity sold by the provider as part of a program of optional pricing authorized by the Commission pursuant to which the provider either transfers portfolio energy credits to the customer or retires portfolio energy credits above the renewable energy portfolio standard on behalf of the customer.

9. For the purposes of subsection 1, for calendar year 2019 and for each calendar year thereafter, the total amount of electricity sold by the following providers to their retail customers in this State during a calendar year does not include the first 1,000,000 megawatt-hours of electricity sold by the provider to such customers during that calendar year:

(a) A rural electric cooperative established pursuant to chapter 81 of NRS that is in existence on the effective date of this act.

(b) A general improvement district established pursuant to chapter 318 of NRS that is in existence on the effective date of this act.

(c) A utility established pursuant to chapter 244, 266, 268, 709 or 710 of NRS that is in existence on April 22, 2019.

(d) A cooperative association, nonprofit corporation, nonprofit association or provider of electric service which is declared to be a public utility pursuant to NRS 704.673, which provides service only to its members and which is in existence and providing retail electric service on the effective date of this act.

Such providers do not earn energy portfolio credits under the system of energy portfolio credits established by the Commission pursuant to subsection 4 for electricity generated or acquired by the provider from renewable energy systems to make the first 1,000,000 megawatt-hours of sales to retail customers within this State within a calendar year. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to any successor in interest of such a provider.

10. A provider listed in subsection 9 shall, during any calendar year in which the total amount of electricity sold by the provider to its retail customers in this State during that calendar year is less than 1,000,000 megawatt-hours, submit to the Commission, after the end of the calendar year and within the time prescribed by the Commission, a report of the total amount of electricity sold to its retail customers in this State for that calendar year. The providers described in paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection 9 shall submit the report required by this subsection to the Commission as part of the annual report filed by such a provider as required by NRS 703.191.

11. As used in this section:

(a) “Energy efficiency contract” means a contract to attain energy savings from one or more energy efficiency measures owned, operated or controlled by other parties.

(b) “Renewable energy contract” means a contract to acquire electricity from one or more renewable energy systems owned, operated or controlled by other parties.

(c) “Terms and conditions” includes, without limitation, the price that a provider must pay to acquire electricity pursuant to a renewable energy contract or to attain energy savings pursuant to an energy efficiency contract.

(Added to NRS by 2001, 2528; A 2003, 1866, 1876; 2005, 22nd Special Session, 82; 2007, 414; 2009, 996, 1399; 2013, 2318; 2019, 18)