A bill that would allow the sale of gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol in Nevada is one of several energy-related bills that are awaiting Gov. Steve Sisolak’s signature after being passed by state lawmakers.

Assembly Bill 411 would require the Nevada Board of Agriculture to adopt regulations allowing the sale of motor vehicle fuel containing up to 15% ethanol by volume, a formulation known as E15. The state’s current maximum for ethanol content is 10%.

The bill was sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved E15 for use in light-duty vehicles of model year 2001 or newer, and the fuel is sold at more than 2,300 gas stations in 30 states, according to the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), a trade group that supported the bill.

“E15 is seen as one of the most important near-term pathways to decarbonizing the transportation sector,” Gene Harrington, BIO’s director of state advocacy and state government affairs, food and agriculture, said in a letter to lawmakers.

The Assembly passed the bill on a 32-10 vote; the Senate vote was 21-0.

Appliance Standards

AB411 was one of several energy-related bills to pass both houses by the end of Nevada’s 120-day legislative session, which concluded on May 31. The state legislature meets every other year.

AB383, by Assemblymember Howard Watts (D), would set energy efficiency standards for a long list of appliances, including computers, electric vehicle supply equipment, gas fireplaces and commercial dishwashers and ovens. (See Bill Would Make NV Energy Aim Higher on EE.)

The bill would instruct the director of the Office of Energy to adopt regulations setting minimum energy efficiency standards for the appliances by Oct. 1, 2022. The standards would apply to appliances sold on or after July 1, 2023.

The bill was sent to the governor last week after a 26-13 vote in the Assembly and a 12-9 vote in the Senate.

Watts sponsored another bill awaiting the governor’s signature: AB349, which would close the state’s so-called classic car loophole. Cars that are 20 years or older may be registered in Nevada as classic vehicles and receive an exemption from smog checks. But under AB349, the classic car designation couldn’t be applied to cars that are used for general transportation, defined as being driven more than 5,000 miles a year.

The votes on the bill were 25-17 in the Assembly and 12-9 in the Senate.

Those bills are in addition to Senate Bill 448, the main energy bill of the session. The bill, by Sen. Chris Brooks (D), would boost electric transmission and EV infrastructure in the state, among other provisions. (See Far-reaching Energy Bill Sweeps Through Nev. Legislature.) Sisolak is expected to sign it.

Land, Water Conservation

Nevada lawmakers this session also passed Assembly Joint Resolution 3 (AJR3), which aims to conserve 30% of the state’s lands and waters by 2030, a goal often called 30-by-30. The resolution was enrolled and delivered to the Secretary of State on May 25.

The resolution’s primary sponsors were Assemblymembers Watts, Cecelia González, Steve Yeager and Lesley Cohen, all Democrats.

AJR3 urges federal, state and local agencies to work together on reaching the 30-by-30 conservation goal.

Conservation may be achieved through actions such as designating or establishing wilderness areas, national parks, state parks and wildlife management areas, AJR3 states. The resolution includes some examples such as establishing as a national monument Avi Kwa Ame, a 380,000-acre area east of the Mojave Desert that is considered sacred to 10 Yuman-speaking tribes.

In addition to government action, private landowners may be encouraged to participate in voluntary conservation programs, the resolution says.

“Land conservation and restoration increases natural carbon sequestration and is one of the most cost-effective solutions to combating climate change,” the resolution states.

According to the Nevada Conservation League, which supported AJR3, Nevada is the first state in the country to pass legislation committing to the 30-by-30 goal.

But lawmakers had mixed views of the resolution. Some questioned whether conservation efforts would conflict with water rights.

Sen. Ira Hansen (R) said the resolution was vague as to what it seeks to conserve and protect. Hansen also expressed concerns about expanding federal oversight of lands.

“Giving more control to the federal government has proven to worsen the situation,” Hansen said during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.

The Assembly voted 26-16 to pass the resolution and the Senate vote was 12-9.

Transportation Working Group

Some bills have already been signed into law by the governor.

AB413 will establish a transportation working group to look at issues including greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation. The group will consider the needs of all types of transportation users, including car drivers, transit users, bicyclists and pedestrians, along with social equity issues.

The group will also discuss the sustainability of the state Highway Fund, which uses gas tax revenue to pay for road repairs. The fund has been dwindling as drivers use less gas.

The state Department of Transportation will choose the 20 to 30 members of the working group. A written report to the legislature is due by Dec. 31, 2022.

AB413 was sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure. The Assembly and Senate passed it unanimously, and Sisolak signed it on May 21.

Repealing Tax Breaks

SB442 will repeal a program that gives property tax breaks to energy efficient buildings.

The Green Building Tax Abatement program was launched in 2005, and the program uses a point system for determining energy efficiency tax breaks that hasn’t kept up with the energy efficiency requirements of building codes, proponents of the bill said.

“Today we have a program rewarding multimillion-dollar national companies for essentially building their properties to the current required code, or in some cases actually less efficient than current code requirements,” Angie Dykema, Nevada representative of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), said in a letter to lawmakers.

The Assembly voted 42-0 in favor of SB442 and the Senate vote was 15-4. Sisolak signed the bill into law on June 3. It takes effect on July 1.