Nevada State Public Benefit Funds for Rate Assistance

The Public Utility Commission has been collecting the Nevada Fund for Energy Assistance and Conservation (NFEAC) since August 2001. The NFEAC is funded through a mill tax assessment paid by residential and commercial customers of the seven regulated utilities in the state. This is referred to as the Universal Energy Charge (UEC).

The UEC is expected to generate about $10 million annually for low-income energy assistance and conservation. Seventy-five percent is distributed on a quarterly basis to the Nevada State Welfare Division, the state LIHEAP grantee. The remainder is distributed to the state weatherization grantee, the Nevada Housing Division.

With its portion of the NFEAC, the state's LIHEAP began implementing a Fixed Annual Credit (FAC) in July 2002, based on the energy burden of the participating household.

During SFY 2006, the Energy Assistance Program expended $8.4 million in UEC funds, serving 17,461 households with those and other funds including LIHEAP. The average benefit was $822. About $1.2 million was spent for arrearage assistance with an average benefit of $381.

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LEVERAGING

2006: $8.4 million
2005: $12.5 million
2004: $3.3 million
2003: $3 million
2002: $1.6 million (includes energy efficiency)

Page Last Updated: March 28, 2007