Nevada Public Utilities Commission’s New Ruling to Improve Transparency Into Timelines for Connecting Large EV Chargers to the Grid

The Nevada Public Utilities Commission’s November 20 ruling provided important data on the time taken to connect large electric vehicle (EV) chargers to the grid, and inform future efforts to update the process. The ruling also included changes to improve Nevadans’ access to valuable grid data.

The decisions, which align with recommendations from the nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), are important steps in advancing charging infrastructure for long-haul trucks and other medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles. The development of charging infrastructure is not only critical for Nevada’s climate goals (the state has a target of achieving zero or near-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050), but will also help reduce harmful diesel pollution in communities most affected by long-haul trucking.

Under the ruling, NV Energy will track and report the time taken to connect large EV charging infrastructure to the grid. NV Energy will track the data for one year, starting in January 2026, to provide transparency into the time it takes for these projects to complete the service connection process.

IREC had pushed for expanded utility timeline reporting including these projects to support service connections in Nevada. This will increase stakeholders’ visibility into time utilized by the process and if the projects are proceeding accurately to meet Nevada’s transportation electrification goals.

Large EV charging projects require electric grid infrastructure upgrades before connecting to the grid. These upgrades ensure the grid supports the higher electricity demand required by the projects. They are time consuming and, in some states, like California, they have resulted in project delays, which not only affect individual applicants but also slow deployment of EV infrastructure overall and impact a state’s ability to transition to EVs.

“Expanding energization timeline tracking to include larger EV charger projects is an important first step toward determining if Nevada is on track to meet demand for EV charging infrastructure, or whether process improvements are necessary to avoid delays as the volume of applications increases,” said Mari Hernandez, Director of IREC’s Regulatory Program.

Service connection timeline tracking and reporting are required for some load projects under Nevada’s Rule 9, which governs the process for electric line extensions, including new electric service requests and requests to modify existing service. The requirements applied to load requests less than one megawatt or with estimated construction costs under $400,000.

However, the thresholds excluded many larger EV charging projects, which are more likely to require more extensive grid upgrades. That meant the timelines for those projects were set on a case-by-case basis, leading to inconsistent treatment across customers. It also meant those customers lacked benchmarks to understand the expected timelines for their projects based on size and/or complexity.

The Commission also accepted an updated Distributed Resources Plan from NV Energy that includes changes to improve the service connection process for EV chargers. NV Energy agreed to clarify rule language in the Plan regarding important process milestones, such as when a new project reserves grid capacity and when specific phases of the project, such as utility construction for upgrades, are scheduled between the utility and the applicant.

The Plan also includes changes to improve Nevadans’ access to valuable grid data. NV Energy publishes a tool called a Hosting Capacity Analysis (HCA), which allows stakeholders to look for the amount of capacity for new projects at different locations on the grid.

NV Energy included provisions to publish updates to this data monthly, reduce the amount of data it redacts in the HCA, and develop a system for validating the accuracy of the data it publishes in the filing. The changes support a growing trend among regulators to require increased grid transparency from the utilities they regulate.

NV Energy will host two public workshops to discuss issues related to data center energization costs, Rule 9 timelines, and other means of speeding up the processing of service connection applications. The workshops will be held before NV Energy files its Rule 9 revisions with the Commission on or before March 6, 2026.