Las Vegas
City Scorecard Rank
32
Las Vegas, NV
38.00Scored out of 100Updated 10/2020
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 5.5 out of 15 points
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
The 2050 Master Plan includes a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 28% below 2019 levels by 2025. ACEEE was unable to project if the city will achieve its near-term GHG emissions reduction goal because insufficient GHG emissions data were available for our analysis.
Las Vegas is included in regional greenhouse gas inventories conducted for the entirety of Clark County.
Energy Efficiency Goal
The 2050 Master Plan includes a goal to reduce regional energy consumption 80% below 2019 levels by 2050.
Renewable Energy Goal
The 2050 Master Plan includes a goal to use renewable energy to power 50% of community electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2050.
Last updated: January 2024
Equity-Driven Approaches to Clean Energy Planning, Implementation, and EvaluationList All
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
The City has conducting bilingual community engagement to inform special area planning efforts. Most recently, one was completed for East Las Vegas, a majority Latino area of Las Vegas.
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
We were unable to determine if the city has created a formal role for marginalized community residents or local organizations representing those communities to participate in decision-making that affects the creation or implementation of a local energy, sustainability, or climate action plan.
Equity Accountability Measures
We were unable to determine whether the city has adopted specific goals, metrics, or protocols to track how multiple energy, sustainability, or climate action initiatives are affecting local marginalized groups.
Last updated: January 2024
Clean Distributed Energy ResourcesList All
The city has not adopted a formal policy, rule, or agreement that supports the creation of clean distributed energy systems.
Last updated: January 2024
Adaptive Mitigation List All
Heat Island Mitigation Policies and Programs
The city requires all non-residential developments greater than one acre in size to use low impact development techniques in site design. The city has not adopted a private tree protection ordinance or policies that require or incentivize conservation of private land.
Resilience Hubs
We were unable to determine if the city has supported the creation of resilience hubs that incorporate clean energy resources and are sited in disadvantaged communities.
Last updated: January 2024
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
Workforce development for disadvantaged workers
We could not determine if city has partnered with a local education institution, labor union, or community-based organization to create, support, and/or incentivize the development of clean energy workforce development initiatives that target training and support services for potential or existing workers from disadvantaged communities to obtain and keep in-demand jobs.
Workforce development for the broader community
We could not determine if city has partnered with a local education institution, labor union, or community-based organization to create, support, and/or incentivize the development of clean energy workforce development initiatives that target training and support services for potential or existing workers from the broader community to obtain and keep in-demand jobs.
Outcomes tracking
We could not determine if the city has instituted a mechanism to measure the performance and/or success of equitable workforce development initiatives focused on the clean energy sector.
Last updated: January 2024
Buildings Policies
Score: 10.5 out of 30 points
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
The State of Nevada is a home rule state and allows local governments to adopt building energy codes for their own jurisdiction. Effective July 2015, the State of Nevada adopted the 2012 IECC with state specific amendments for residential buildings and ASHRAE 90.1-2010 for commercial buildings.
Building professionals from Clark County participate the Southern Nevada Building Officials organization that promotes regional adoption of recommended building codes. Since local jurisdictions are still responsible for adopting energy codes, the city adopted the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
Commercial
Las Vegas adopted the 2018 International Building Code and 2018 IECC. The city’s zEPI score for their commercial energy code is 51.75.
Residential
Las Vegas adopted the 2018 International Residential Code and 2018 IECC. The city’s zEPI score for their residential energy code is 55.50.
Solar-readiness policies
The city has not passed a policy mandating new developments be solar-ready, but allows for solar energy use in all zones.
EV-readiness policies
The city does not currently have a policy mandating new developments be EV-ready, but a regional EV ordinance has been prepared and is scheduled for City and County adoption.
Low-energy use requirements
The Green Building Resolution requires new municipal buildings to achieve LEED Silver.
Electrification policies
We could not find information on whether the city has adopted any electrification policies.
Last Update: September 2023
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
Las Vegas incorporates mandatory energy compliance verification into the plan review and third-party review and inspections. We were unable to determine the amount of staff effort dedicated to energy code enforcement. The city provides upfront support in the form of one-on-one assistance.
Last Update: September 2023
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
Incentives
Las Vegas offers property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing for commercial energy efficiency improvements and solar installations.
Last Update: September 2023
Transportation
Score: 11 out of 30 points
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
The Las Vegas 2050 Master Plan was adopted in 2021 and includes sustainable transportation strategies.
VMT/GHG Target and Stringency
According to the 2050 Master Plan, the city has a goal of reducing VMT 0.5% annually from 2025.
Due to insufficient data on the target year, we were unable to calculate a required per-capita annual reduction for achieving this goal. Therefore, Las Vegas did not earn points for the stringency of its target.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
The City of Las Vegas did not provide VMT data collected since the adoption of its goal; therefore, we cannot assess progress toward the goal.
Last Updated: September 2023
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
In 2017, Las Vegas modified its zoning code to allow developments with three or more residential units in more districts by-right.
Residential Parking Policies
We were unable to find information indicating that the City of Las Vegas has at least one zone, neighborhood, or district with a parking maximum of 1 or fewer spaces per housing unit or no minimum parking requirement for residential uses.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
The City of Las Vegas does not have location-efficient development incentives or disclosure policies.
Affordable Housing around Transit
The city incentivizes affordable housing near transit by providing developers with expedited review, fee waivers, density bonuses, height bonuses, and fee reductions.
Last Updated: January 2024
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
According to the 2050 Master Plan, adopted in 2021, the City has a goal of 40% of all trips being made by single-occupant vehicles, 20% by transit, and 5% by walking/biking by 2050.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
According to data from 2050 Master Plan Annual Report, the City of Las Vegas’ driving-alone mode share decreased 1% from 2021 to 2022. Therefore, Las Vegas earned points for this metric.
Subsidized Access to Efficient Transportation Options
The City of Las Vegas partners with RTC to provide bike share services, and partners with FORTH Mobility to provide an electric vehicle sharing service to low-income communities.
Last Updated: September 2023
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transit entities that serve the City of Las Vegas have received $162,043,487.40 on average annually between 2017 and 2021 from local sources. That equates to roughly $71.53 per capita between 2017 and 2021 within the service area.
Access to Transit Services
The AllTransit Performance Score measures a given community's transit access and performance. The score considers connections to other routes, access to jobs, service frequency, and the percent of commuters who ride transit to work. The City of Vegas’s AllTransit Performance Score is 5.1, scoring 1 point in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: September 2023
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
Neither the City of Las Vegas nor the local utility provide incentives for purchasing efficient vehicles.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
Neither the City of Las Vegas nor the local utility provide incentives for the installation of EV charging stations.
EV Charging Requirements
The City of Las Vegas does not require new developments to install EV charging stations.
EV Charging Locations
The City of Las Vegas has 76.4 vehicle charging ports per 100,000 people available for public use.
Electric School Bus Goal
Neither the City of Las Vegas nor the local school district have set an electric school bus goal.
EV Transit Bus Goal
Las Vegas set a goal of transitioning 100% of its bus fleet to zero emissions by 2035.
Last Updated: September 2023
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Sustainable Freight Plans
The City of Las Vegas does not have a sustainable freight plan or freight mobility plan in place, nor is it pursuing any freight efficiency strategies.
Open Data Portals
The City of Las Vegas does not have an open data portal with real-time freight data.
Last Updated: September 2023
Community Energy Infrastructure
Score: 13 out of 40 points
Community Energy Infrastructure Summary List All
NV Energy, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary electric utility serving Las Vegas. Southwest Gas, an IOU, is Las Vegas’s primary natural gas utility. The State of Nevada has established requirements for energy efficiency programs provided by the state's investor-owned electric utilities, as well as integrated resource planning. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Nevada page of the State Database.
Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) provide drinking water services to residents of Las Vegas. The City of Las Vegas Water Pollution Control Facilities is the municipal utility which provides wastewater treatment services and the Clark County Regional Flood Control District is responsible for stormwater management services.
Last Updated: September 2023
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2021, NV Energy reported 196,515 MWh of net electric savings at the meter.
In 2021, we were unable to verify energy efficiency program spending and savings for Southwest Gas.
NV Energy offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industry customers. Southwest Gas similarly offers natural gas efficiency programs to residential and business customers.
At this time, the City of Las Vegas does not have a formal partnership with NV Energy or Southwest Gas in the form of a jointly developed or administered energy saving strategy, plan, or agreement. Even so, Southwest Gas, NV Energy, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) work with the Desert Research Institute (DRI) to help fund and promote their GreenPower Outreach programs. Through GreenPower Outreach, DRI offers Teacher Trainings and Workshops focused on STEM subjects including energy conservation and management. Additional resources are also offered to Nevada students in the form of Green Boxes, speakers, and field trips.
Last Updated: September 2023
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
NV Energy’s Low Income program provides installation of new energy-saving appliances to income-qualified residential customers. The Program supports customers that have a higher ratio of utility bill to income and are financially unable to replace old and inefficient appliances in their homes. The installation of new ENERGY STAR rated qualified refrigerators and electric clothes dryers, along with other energy savings measures, such as smart strips, advanced power strips surge protectors, lighting control, photocell for dusk-to-dawn outdoor lighting, and LED light bulbs, are installed at no cost to the customer through the program. Any appliances that are identified as eligible to be replaced are removed and recycled in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local guidelines.
In 2021, NV Energy’s low-income energy efficiency programs achieved 1,215 MWh of net electric savings at the meter while spending $2,130,247 and serving 1,486 households.
In 2021, we were unable to verify low-income program information for Southwest Gas.The City of Las Vegas’s 2050 Master Plan was adopted in 2021. The Plan directs the city to work with the utility on a study to determine the feasibility, and/or implement city-led low-income and/or multifamily energy conservation programs.
Multifamily Programs
At this time, NV Energy and Southwest Gas do not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at multifamily properties.
Last Updated: September 2023
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
Neither NV Energy nor Southwest Gas provide building managers with automated benchmarking data through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for multitenant commercial or multifamily buildings.
NV Energy and Southwest Gas provide annual aggregate community wide energy usage information for planning and evaluation purposes. The city includes energy usage data for residential, commercial, industrial, and civic sectors in the 2050 Master Plan.
The City of Las Vegas does not advocate for better access to utility data for ratepayers or the establishment of data-sharing agreements between the city and its utilities.
Last Updated: September 2023
Decarbonization and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts of Cities and Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
NV Energy does not currently have a carbon emissions reduction goal in place.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
The City of Las Vegas actively lobbies in favor of utility scale and distributed generation, greater Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), and net metering at the Nevada Public Utilities Commission and Nevada State Legislature. For utility scale and distributed energy and the expanded RPS, the City testified in support of these policies. Specifically, the City has support for SB 283 on C-PACE, SB 448 an omnibus energy bill on transportation electrification and EV charging rebates and carbon reduction, SB 328 on energy storage and the RPS, among others.
The City invited the utility to participate in the development of the City's 2050 Master Plan. NV Energy affirmed, supported, and commented in favor of the goals, outcomes, and strategies listed within the plan.
Clean Distributed Energy Resources
The City has partnered with NV Energy to create covered solar parking at Freedom Park. It will soon be host to the first community solar system in Nevada for qualifying NV Energy customers. Freedom Park is located in an underserved neighborhood creating covered parking for visitors and creating renewable energy for rentals, apartments, condos in the area that lack the ability to install solar panels.
Municipal Renewable Energy Procurement
Las Vegas has installed approximately 6.2 MW of solar systems on forty city facilities.
City Renewable Energy Incentive and Financing Programs
Las Vegas offers property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing for commercial energy efficiency improvements and solar installations.
Last Updated: February 2024
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
Southwest Gas and NV Energy collaborate with the Southern Nevada Water District to offer energy and water conservation tips to local business and residential customers as well as provide separate electric efficiency, gas efficiency, and water efficiency programs. Water saving measures include tankless hot water and solar hot water rebates. Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) also offers smart irrigation clock coupons.
SNWA established a conservation goal of 105 GPCD (gallons per capita per day) by 2035. In order to meet this goal, the SNWA and Las Vegas Valley Water District use a four-pronged approach of tiered pricing, drought and water use restrictions, incentives for purchasing equipment like pool covers and green landscaping, and education and outreach. In addition, as a part of the City's 2050 Master Plan, the City will align with current and future SNWA goals with respect to water conservation and long-term water resources planning. Southern Nevada has reduced its water demand from about 314 gallons per person per day to about 127 GPCD, a 36% decrease since 2002. As part of the 2050 Master Plan, Las Vegas has aligned the current and future water conservation goals and long-term water resource planning with SNWA.
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
Las Vegas Valley Water District is pursuing energy efficiency initiatives in accordance with the city’s Sustainable Energy Strategy, but a specific energy efficiency goal for operations is not in place. The City's 2050 Master Plan sets a goal to reduce municipal energy consumption by 2% annually. Upgrades are funded through the city’s Sewer Enterprise Fund and Internal Service Fund as part of annual capital projects funding.
The City of Las Vegas Water Pollution Control Facility digesters use methane capture and have 3.3 MW of solar power generated on site. In addition, power transmitted to the wastewater plant is received from the Colorado River Commission which receives power from Hoover Dam’s Hydropower Systems. The City is in partnership with Southwest Gas to also introduce a natural gas program using feedstock (FOG) injected into the City's WPC.
Last Updated: September 2023
Local Government Score:
6 out of 10 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
Climate Mitigation Goal
The city of Las Vegas set a goal to reduce local government GHG emissions 100% by 2050.
Energy Reduction Goal
The city of Las Vegas set a goal to reduce local government building energy use 2% annually.
Renewable Energy Goal
The city of Las Vegas set a goal to continue to use 100% renewable energy to power city operations.
Last updated: November 2023
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet Policies and Composition
Las Vegas does not currently have an efficiency or fleet procurement policy, but this is a recommendation as a part of the City’s 2050 Master Plan. The City’s fleet is composed of 12% efficient vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles.
Public Lighting
We could not confirm if Las Vegas as adopted a policy requiring efficient outdoor lighting, such as the International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance. However, the city has adopted regional standards set forth by the Regional Transportation Commission, which mirror the industry American National Standards Institute/Illuminating Engineering Society of North American (ANSI/IESNA). Currently, 95% of city streetlights are LED.
Inclusive procurement
While Las Vegas does not have inclusive procurement and contracting processes, in August of 2020, Las Vegas adopted a resolution for technical assistance to MWBE to improve supplier diversity efforts.
Last updated: February 2024
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
Las Vegas benchmarks all municipal buildings.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
In addition to the 2050 Master Plan's goals and policies (see Chapter 4 - Energy, Water, GHG Emissions, and Public Facilities), the city of Las Vegas adopted R-32-2017, a resolution adopting a strategy for net-zero energy, sustainability, and community resilience. A goal of the strategy, in addition to the LEED requirement is to ensure that 25% of existing occupied City buildings and facilities meet or be upgraded to a LEED or equivalent standard, pursuant to R-32-2017. Several new buildings have been built to LEED standards or are being replaced with a LEED rated building. All other upgrades are included in the annual Capital Improvement Planning process. The city has allocated approximately $1.1 million toward EV charging, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects for FY 2023 and 2024.
Municipal Employee Transportation Benefits
The City of Las Vegas subsidizes transit passes and employees are welcome to participate in Club Ride, a program faciliated by the MPO (rtcsnv). In addition, if city employees carpool, there is prioritized, reserved parking spaces for carpool participants.
Last update: February 2024