Nevada protects consumers from utility shutoffs in extreme heat. Advocates want more.
Summary
As Nevada summers grow deadlier and electricity costs rise, advocates warn that low-income residents face increasing risk from inconsistent access to cooling. Between May and August 2025 Clark County recorded at least 114 heat-related deaths, and national data show extreme heat is now a leading cause of weather-related fatalities.
Nevada bans utility disconnections when temperatures exceed 105°F (95°F for elderly or disabled customers) and requires a 30-day delay for customers with medical emergencies. However, critics say the temperature threshold is too high, assistance is limited and utilities can still collect charges incurred during moratoriums. Recent bills to extend protections through summer months failed, though the legislature did pass measures requiring more transparency on disconnections and utility rate-setting.
Key Points
- Clark County reported at least 114 heat-related deaths from May–August 2025, reflecting a wider national trend of rising heat fatalities.
- Nevada prohibits utility shutoffs above 105°F (95°F for elderly/disabled) and delays disconnections for 30 days during medical emergencies, but customers still owe charges accrued during moratoria.
- Federal LIHEAP funds exist, but most resources are spent on winter heating; cooling assistance is comparatively limited.
- Advocates argue Nevada’s threshold should drop to around 92–95°F or adopt a month-based summer moratorium to better protect vulnerable neighbourhoods and households.
- Legislature passed AB442 (quarterly reporting on disconnections) and AB452 (greater transparency around utility rate-setting), but broader protections and more frequent assistance remain unmet demands.
- NV Energy has proposed a rate increase of up to 9%; advocates urge regulators to reject hikes while customers struggle with affordability.
Author’s take
Punchy: This matters now. The state has sensible baseline rules, but they look stingy next to escalating heat, rising bills and clear evidence that poor households are being left exposed. The bills that passed improve transparency — useful — but they don’t fix affordability or expand cooling protections. Read the detail if you care about who keeps the lights (and A/C) on this summer.
Why should I read this?
Short and real: if you live in Nevada or work on energy, housing or public-health policy, the piece tells you what protections exist, why advocates say they’re not enough, and which small wins (reporting and transparency) actually made it through the legislature. It saves you from wading through filings but gives enough to know what to push for next.
Context and relevance
Extreme heat is becoming a top weather risk nationally; Las Vegas and Reno rank among the fastest-warming cities in the US. Rising electricity costs are outpacing general living costs, increasing the number of households that can’t reliably run cooling. Nevada’s policies matter as models for heat protections in other hot states and for shaping how assistance programmes like LIHEAP are used for cooling needs.