Nevada
Burning Man survived a muddy quagmire — Will the experiment last 30 more years?
RENO, Nev. — The blank canvas of desert wilderness in northern Nevada seemed the perfect place in 1992 for artistic anarchists to relocate their annual burning of a towering, anonymous effigy. It was goodbye to San Francisco’s Baker Beach, hello to the Nevada playa, the long-ago floor of an inland sea.
The tiny gathering became Burning Man’s surrealistic circus, fueled by acts of kindness and avant-garde theatrics, sometimes with a dose of hallucinogens or nudity. The spectacle flourished as the festival ballooned over the next three decades.
Some say it grew too much, too fast.
Things came to a head in 2011 when tickets sold out for the first time.
Organizers responded with a short-lived lottery system that left people out of what was supposed to be a radically inclusive event.
As Burning Man matured, luxurious accommodations proliferated, as did the population of billionaires and celebrities.
Katherine Chen, a sociology professor in New York City who wrote a 2009 book about the event’s “creative chaos,” was among those who wondered whether Burning Man “would be a victim of its own success.”
Exponential growth led to increasing questions about whether organizers had veered too far from the core principles of radical inclusion, expression, participation and the pledge to “leave no trace.”
That last hurdle was never harder to clear than this year as “Burners” tried to leave over Labor Day weekend after torching the 80-foot (24-meter) wooden sculpture that is “the Man.”
A rare rainstorm turned the Black Rock Desert into a muddy quagmire 110 miles (175 kilometers) north of Reno, delaying the departure of 80,000 revelers. Once out, organizers had six weeks to clean up under terms of a federal permit.
By the smallest of margins, they passed the test last month, with a few adjustments recommended for the future. The verdict from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management means Burning Man is in line to use federal land again next year.
Debate over the event’s future, however, is sure to continue as divisions grow between the aging hippie types and wealthier, more technologically inclined newcomers. Veteran participants fear the newer set is losing touch with Burning Man’s roots.
The event has made a quantum leap from a gathering of hundreds to one that temporarily becomes Nevada’s third largest city after metropolitan Las Vegas and Reno. The festival drew 4,000 in 1995 and topped 50,000 in 2010.
It’s no wonder seasoned Burners sound a bit like griping cribbage players on a rural town square when they mutter: “It ain’t like it used to be.”
“Back then, it was much more raw,” said Mike “Festie” Malecki, 63, a retired Chicago mortician turned California sculptor who made his 13th trip this year to the land of colorful theme camps, towering sculptures, drum circles and art cars.
“There are more (people) who come out to party and don’t participate. We call them spectators,” he said.
Senior organizers long have wrestled with whether to become more civilized or remain what co-founder Larry Harvey described as a “repudiation of order and authority.”
Ron Halbert, a 71-year-old from San Francisco, has worked support for Burning Man’s 90-piece orchestra for 20 years and remains optimistic.
“It’s still the gathering of the tribe,” he said.
The event is permitted tentatively for the same 80,000 attendance cap next year.
Organizers are considering some minor changes, though generally resist making new rules, said Marian Goodell, Burning Man Project’s chief executive officer.
Critics on social media howled at the mayhem left behind this year, posting photos of garbage piles, abandoned vehicles and overflowing portable toilets while ridiculing the “hippies” and their leave-no-trace mantra.
But that mayhem may have actually helped bring Burning Man back to its roots.
Katrina Cook of Toronto said it forced people to be true to the founding principles of participation and radical self-reliance.
“The rain weeded out the people who didn’t want to be there for the right reason,” Cook said.
Mark Fromson, 54, was staying in an RV, but the rains forced him to find shelter at another camp where fellow burners provided food and cover.
Another principle of Burning Man, he said, centers on unconditional gift giving with no expectation of something in return.
After sunset, Fromson set off barefoot through the muck for a long trek back to his vehicle, slogging through thick clay that clung to his feet and legs. The challenge, he said, was the mark of a “good burn.”
Nevertheless, Jeffery Longoria of San Francisco, who marked his fifth consecutive voyage to Burning Man last summer, said its core principles are going to evolve no matter what as a new generation takes over.
“The people that created this community, a lot of them are getting older and retiring and there’s a lot of new young people coming in, the kind that have, you know, a couple $100,000 RVs and are kind of just careless about the environment.”
Soren Michael, a Los Angeles technology worker who made his 11th trip this year, said the biggest change has been the ability to communicate with the outside world from the desert.
“It was almost part of the appeal to be disconnected,” he said.
Twenty years ago, the psychedelic celebration like none other already was attracting academic scholars — anthropologists, sociologists, political scientists, economists and communications professors — curious about how the makeshift civilization functioned without real-world rules.
Burning Man references started popping up in TV episodes and talk show punchlines.
The rich and famous began venturing to Black Rock City, as the festival’s temporary metropolis is called.
A full-blown exhibit about the phenomenon debuted in 2018 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington. Even then, veteran Burners complained about the event becoming as much a curiosity to see as to do.
That’s in part the problem veterans have with the advent of glamor camping, or glamping, in which private companies provide packaged trips to concierge camps with luxury RVs and lavish meals under chandeliers. Some believe the camps violate Burning Man principles.
The growing number of billionaires and celebrities who fly in on private jets to Black Rock City’s temporary airstrip “seems to be everyone’s favorite thing to hate,” Goodell said. But wealth shouldn’t be a cause for shame, she said.
“The question is not about glamping,” she said. “Comfort doesn’t assume lack of engagement. It’s whether you have a glamping camp and you’re not really engaging.”
Burning Man’s purpose remains the same: building a creative, stimulating environment, the essence of which people can take back to their own communities.
“We thought that from the beginning,” Goodell said. “We just didn’t know it would be 80,000 people.”
First team
Gigi Benoualid, Coronado — The senior finished seventh at the 5A Southern Region meet (19 minutes, 26.3 seconds) and was eighth at the 5A state meet (19:41).
Scarlett Cotrone, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished 11th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:52.4) and was ninth at the 5A state meet (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.
Ryen Hughes, Shadow Ridge — The junior finished fourth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:12.4) and was fifth at the 5A state meet (19:16).
Aislin McMahon, Sky Pointe — The junior finished second at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:54.8) and was second at the 5A state meet (19:00).
Brooke-Lynn Miller, Coronado — The senior won the 5A Southern Region individual title (18:40.8) and was seventh at the 5A state meet (19:19). She is committed to Cal Baptist.
Elynn Okuda, Shadow Ridge — The senior finished sixth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:16.1) and was third at state (19:11).
Lacy Tippetts, Sky Pointe — The junior finished third at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:58.2) and was 13th at the 5A state meet (19:57).
Sophia Weisz, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished fifth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:13.1) and was 10th at state (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.
Coach of the year
Jeff Edwards, Faith Lutheran — Guided the Crusaders to the Class 5A team state title, the program’s fifth overall and first since 2001.
Second team
Jenna Anderson, Faith Lutheran — The sophomore finished 24th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:34.6) and was 14th at the 5A state meet (19:57) to help the Crusaders win the team title.
Lola Borsh, Desert Oasis — The freshman finished 16th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:16.5) and was 26th at the 5A state meet (20:26).
Katherine Hodges, Sky Pointe — The junior finished 13th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:12.8) and was 23rd at the 5A state meet (20:18).
Lacy Mayes, Centennial — The sophomore finished eighth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:30.6) and was 19th at the 5A state meet (20:05).
Autumn McQuirter, Liberty — The sophomore finished 15th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.7) and was 12th at the 5A state meet (19:54).
Mia Musemici, Desert Oasis — The senior finished 10th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.8) and was 24th at the 5A state meet (20:23).
Belle Parrel, Centennial — The freshman finished ninth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.4) and was 17th at the 5A state meet (20:01).
Michelle Stana, Clark — The freshman won the 4A individual Desert League (21:19.9) and state (20:43.2) titles.
Mackenzie Teel, Sky Pointe — The senior finished 14th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.5) and was 37th at the 5A state meet (20:57).
Julia Vancura, Faith Lutheran — The senior finished 12th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:01.0) and was 21st at the 5A state meet (20:10).
Honorable mention
Mandi Abney, Shadow Ridge
Savannah Abney, Shadow Ridge
Emma Ansorge, Basic
Maleah Bennett, Centennial
Allison Blazi, Amplus Academy
Kensley Bleak, Lincoln County
Isabella Bustillos-Rivera, Desert Oasis
Ava Dupuis, Palo Verde
Isabelle Franks, Faith Lutheran
Leah Groppenbacher, Arbor View
MJ Gutierrez-Hess, Green Valley
Payton Howse, Clark
Sadie Ivins, Lincoln County
Madeline Labay, Bishop Gorman
Aubrei Lay, Sky Pointe
Selina Leipard, Clark
Ava Levy, Palo Verde
Stella Lin, Coronado
Mackenzie McClain, Sky Pointe
Adalyn Mosley, Foothill
Yalitzi Muro, Western
Elizabeth Neumann, Silverado
Julianna Ondrisko, Pahrump Valley
Sophie Romero, Pahrump Valley
Isabelle Searer, Liberty
Avery Stanton, Coronado
Eliott Stepanek, Faith Lutheran
Amira Turner, Centennial
Isla Ulmer, Coronado
Olivia Wheeler, Sky Pointe
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Justice Department on Friday sued Nevada and three other states, claiming they’d failed to provide requested voter roll information.
Nevada officials, however, said the federal government hasn’t answered basic questions about how the information would be kept secure and questioned why officials wanted the data.
WATCH | What to know about the lawsuit
Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls
The 10-page lawsuit, filed in federal District Court in Nevada, says the government is seeking the information to enforce the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act.
It says the Justice Department asked the state on June 25 for information including a copy of its computerized statewide voter registration list. It said the information could be sent via encrypted email or by using the department’s secure file-sharing system.
The state immediately replied, sending a copy of the voter registration list, including names, addresses and birthdates, but not drivers license information or the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
The department responded on Aug. 14, again asking for the full database and adding “the purpose of the request is to ascertain Nevada’s compliance with the list maintenance requirements of” federal election laws.
The state, according to the lawsuit, wrote back to say the federal government had no basis for the request and claimed it was concerned about privacy of voter data.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare Nevada’s refusal to provide the entire database unlawful, and order the state to turn it over.
In response, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said in a statement Friday that the state’s concerns have gone unaddressed.
“The Department of Justice is making sweeping demands of states to hand over private voter data. Despite our simple requests for information on how they’re going to keep this data secure, they’ve given us no clear answers,” Aguilar said in the statement. “It’s my duty to follow Nevada law and protect the best interests of Nevadans, which includes protecting their sensitive information and access to the ballot.
“While these requests may seem like normal oversight, the federal government is using its power to try to intimidate states and influence how states administer elections ahead of the 2026 cycle. The Constitution makes it clear: elections are run by the states. Nevada will continue to run safe, secure and accessible elections and I’ll always stand up for the rights of our voters.”
In an interview on Friday, Nevada’s senior U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto questioned the motives of the Justice Department.
KTNV
“You’ve got to question why DOJ is asking for this information and why they’re pushing for this information,” she said. “Is it really to protect voting rights across this country, or is there some other nefarious purpose?”
Added Cortez Masto: “What I have seen is a focus on immigration, right? And their idea of purging all undocumented individuals from this country, including DREAMers, including those that are married to U.S. citizens, including those that are not violent criminals. We have seen that they are continuing down this path, and they are trying to figure out how to gather as much data as they can to use it against individuals in this country.”
President Donald Trump has falsely asserted that he won the 2020 election, nationwide and in Nevada, where Joe Biden defeated Trump by 2.39 percentage points or 33,596 votes statewide.
Six Republican electors were later indicted for sending false Electoral College certificates to Washington, D.C., part of a nationwide plot to keep Trump in office. The case was challenged on a technical issue, but the Nevada Supreme Court upheld the charges, and a trial is expected in the new year.
An email seeking comment from the attorney general’s office — which will defend Nevada in court — was not immediately returned Friday.
Do you have a question about politics in Nevada? Ask Steve Sebelius by emailing Steve.Sebelius@ktnv.com.
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Nevada nonprofit organization and the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection are challenging the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in court after the organization approved new NV Energy policies.
Vote Solar is a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on state policies affecting solar and clean energy solutions.
WATCH | Darcy Spears breaks down challenge against PUCN
Nevada nonprofit, BCP challenging PUCN over NV Energy’s daily demand charge
According to their petition for judicial review, they are questioning the PUCN’s decision to approve two separate policies:
- A new daily demand charge for residential and small business customers in Southern Nevada
- A new 15-minute net metering policy for rooftop solar customers in Northern Nevada
In the petition, Vote Solar officials claim the PUCN’s final decisions are:
- In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions
- In excess of the statutory authority of the Commission
- Made upon unlawful procedure
- Affected by other error of law
- Clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative and substantial evidence on the record
- Arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion
“The PUCN’s decision is a major step backward for Nevada’s clean energy future,” said Chauntille Roberts, Regional Director at Vote Solar. “Nevada deserves energy policies that protect consumers, expand access to solar, and move our state forward—not backward.”
The Attorney General Office’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has filed a separate petition for judicial review.
“The demand charge rate structure (if permitted to be implemented), the 15-minute NEM netting methodology, and the approved affiliate charges result in rates that are unjust, unreasonable, and unlawful in contravention of NRS 704.040, and undermine the Commission’s fundamental duty under NRS 704.001 to provide utility ratepayers with just and reasonable rates,” the filing states in part.
The filing also states commissioners approved $2.7 million worth of affiliate charges that ratepayers would cover.
“The Commission’s decision concerning affiliate charges is belied by the record as the evidence in this docket demonstrates that NPC failed to provide any evidence, let alone substantial evidence, sufficient to support the recovery of an aggregate of $2.7 million,” the filing states. “Not only is the $2.7 million in affiliate charges unsupported by actual charges, it is also unreasonable and an unsupported monetary number, resulting in the Commission’s decision being arbitrary and capricious.”
No future court hearings have been scheduled for that case, as of Friday morning.
Channel 13 has reached out to NV Energy and the PUCN to see if they would like to comment on the petition.
NV Energy sent the following statement to us.
“NV Energy believes the changes that were approved and reaffirmed by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada are consistent with state law, and we will be following this filing closely.
The demand charge more accurately captures the cost of energy delivery. It also helps to fix inequities between rooftop solar and non-rooftop solar customers. Because of the current billing structure, rooftop solar customers pay less than non-rooftop solar customers for the cost of service, shifting costs to non-rooftop solar customers.
Between 2018 and 2024, the total cost shift born by non-rooftop solar customers in Southern Nevada is $424 million. The total subsidy in Southern Nevada in 2025 is expected to grow by an additional $80 million, based on expected growth for the rest of the year.
The recently approved demand charge helps fix the inequities caused by the current system, and helps ensure that customer bills more accurately reflect the cost it takes to provide them with service.”
NV Energy Spokesperson
As of the time this article was published, we have not heard back from the PUCN.
In September, the PUCN approved the new rate model, which has sparked controversy among many Southern Nevadans who claim this will make their energy bills continue to go up.
“It’s painful. I just wanted to express concern as a private citizen that corporate America is going to do what it’s going to do to maintain profits and dividends,” Las Vegas local Joel Tauber told us in October.
“Why can a monopoly, a utility monopoly, dictate how I live in my residence,” retiree Jody Rodarmal told us in September. “If you believe there’s not going to be any increase, then why go to a new style of billing?”
SEPTEMBER 2025: NV Energy’s new billing structure sparks concern among Las Vegas residents
NV Energy’s new billing structure sparks concern among Las Vegas residents
How would the daily demand charge work?
According to NV Energy, the daily demand charge will be calculated by taking the highest amount of energy used in a 15-minute period each day and multiplying it by the current kilowatt-per-hour rate.
That charge will then be added to your bill. For the average customer, NV Energy estimates this will amount to roughly $20 per month.
WATCH: Ryan Ketcham explains NV Energy’s new daily demand charge
NV Energy is adding a ‘daily demand charge’ to power bills. What does that mean for consumers?
In past statements to Channel 13, NV Energy officials have stressed the rate increase requests are intended to recoup the costs of projects it undertakes to shore up the power grid.
However, there have been questions about that over the last year after scandals involving overcharging customers and trying to pass on the costs of things like luxury hotels, travel, and liquor to ratepayers, including a $1.2 million tab at Red Rock Resort.
According to NV Energy, Nevada customers already pay a lower average rate than the rest of the country. Through June 2025, the company says its rates were 22% lower than the U.S. average and 60% lower than in California.
Do you have a concern or question about something happening in the valley? Email Darcy.Spears@ktnv.com.
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