While rooftop solar has exploded in popularity among households looking to invest in renewable energy while saving money on electricity, high upfront costs have prevented lower-income residents from embracing the carbon saving technology.
But a $156 million federal grant to boost solar adoption for low-income Nevadans over the next five years offers a chance to change that.
Last month, the Nevada Clean Energy Fund was awarded the multi-million dollar “Solar for All” grant by the Environmental Protection Agency to support community solar projects that benefit low-income households.
Nevada received the highest award amount per capita of any state. In fact, Nevada received the same award amount as Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania — states with significantly higher populations.
The program opens the doors for low-income residents and disadvantaged communities — those most impacted by climate change — to have access to solar energy without being financially burdened by prohibitive installation costs.
During a Joint Interim Standing Committee on Growth and Infrastructure Wednesday, Kirsten Stasio, the CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said affordable housing developers and community solar developers could receive funding for projects as soon as December 2024.
“The opportunity before us is unlike one we’ve ever seen before,” Stasio said. “With these funds, we’re going to launch low-income solar programs for single family homes, affordable multifamily housing, as well as for community solar projects.”
The Nevada Clean Energy Fund was created by state statute in 2017 with the goal of providing financing and technical assistance for clean energy projects in Nevada, but statutory barriers and a lack of funding has prevented the fund from implementing large-scale community solar projects.
Many Nevadans are unable to invest in rooftop solar because of the high upfront costs needed for installations. Renters in the state have also been sidelined by the solar boom due to a lack of solar infrastructure.
“Community solar is really critical to unlocking solar for low-income communities and particular renters, which make up a big portion of the population, and those renters don’t necessarily have control over the roof,” Stasio said during the Wednesday meeting.
Other aspects of community solar have discouraged many lower-income residents from participating, including long contracts for renters, sometimes lasting 30 years, and penalty fees for leaving a contract prematurely.
Until 2021, Nevada statute also prohibited those who live in individually metered multifamily buildings from being able to benefit from solar on the rooftop of their building. Senate Bill 488 remedies that by allowing owners of apartments, multi-family homes and commercial buildings to take advantage of the net metering program for rooftop solar.
“Low income households in particular are often left behind in the clean energy transition, due to a lack of funding and technical assistance to access these funds. Yet, they’re the ones that need solar the most, and typically experience the highest energy cost burden,” Stasio said.
A federal requirement under the $156 million dollar grant requires that any household benefiting from the funds must experience at least a 20% savings in energy costs. The Nevada program will partner with local governments, schools, nonprofits, tribes, and utilities to combine Solar for All funds with federal tax credits to build community solar projects that share the energy cost savings with low-income households.
The funding is part of a $7 billion federal grant program administered by the EPA and established using funds from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Once the EPA reviews and approves recipient’s finalized documents, the Nevada Clean Energy Fund will be able to release the $156 million in funding for community solar developments in the state, said Stasio.
“We won’t be able to start drawing down funds until that happens, at least for significant program activities,” Stasio said.
Low-income single-family homes who want to take advantage of funds from the Nevada Clean Energy Fund will also be able to apply by 2025.
“We’re going to have two different options, an ownership option for households that have that capacity, and a lease option for households that don’t,” Stasio said.
Stasio said the Nevada Clean Energy Fund is currently working with regional housing authorities and major affordable housing developers in Nevada to identify opportunities to put solar on affordable housing.
The EPA grant builds on other funding recently awarded to the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, including a $7.7 million federal grant in February to purchase 25 electric school buses around the state.
“We can achieve this goal with no cost for the school district, so we’re already getting requests,” Stasio said.
“These electric school buses reduce maintenance costs by about $15,000 annually per bus, and they make children safer and free from harmful diesel air pollution that can cause asthma and other respiratory illnesses,” she continued.
That funding was awarded by the EPA’s Clean School Bus program, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided $5 billion to districts across the country to purchase zero- and low-emission school buses.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.
“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.
The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.
Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.
The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.
McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.
“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.
McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.
“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.
John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.
“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.
Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.
“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”
McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.
“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.
Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.
A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market.
The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.
Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com.
Mansion Global Boutique: Book Lovers Rejoice: 8 Must-Haves To Build Your Perfect Reading Nook
The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show.
The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show.
There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information.
MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million
The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal.
The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market.
Updated February 26, 2026 – 8:28 pm
click to expand photos
Green Valley’s softball team claimed an 8-6 win at Liberty on Thursday on the first day of high school spring sports competition in Nevada.
Green Valley next hosts Silverado at 3 p.m. Friday. Liberty plays at Bishop Gorman at 3 p.m. Friday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Exclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
Mother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
Wildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
YouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
Stellantis is in a crisis of its own making
OpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
