NVE electric car stance brings kudos

NV Energy (NVE) in a report by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project was labeled a leading utility in promoting electric vehicle transportation.

The public interest organization, a six-state energy efficiency advocate for saving money and the environment via energy use changes, said NVE offers a special electric vehicle billing rate to encourage electric vehicle (EV) owners to recharge at night and has facilitated installation of nearly half the public electric vehicle charging stations in the Silver State.

“NV Energy seems to recognize that it is in their own best interest to develop this new market and advance the adoption of EVs,” said Mike Salisbury, a transportation analyst at the Colorado-based public interest organization also known as SWEEP. The group is active in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Jared Friedman, NVE director of renewable energy strategy and development, was quoted in the SWEEP news release regarding the recognition the Silver State utility is a longtime supporter of EV development. He said such vehicles reduce emissions and electric power is less expensive than gasoline. NVE first began offering lower electricity rates in 2009 to customers with EVs, according to SWEEP.

The organization also said NVE leads by example, having made a dozen EV purchases and having offered charging stations at several of the utility’s office locations.