The Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) was established by state legislation (NRS 701B) in 2017 as a nonprofit organization to promote and increase investments in clean energy projects in the state in a way that improves quality of life, reduces energy costs, creates jobs, and addresses climate change. In accordance with state statute, NCEF’s Board of Directors comprises nine members, including state government officials and nominees from state contractors and labor organizations and counties that are appointed by the Governor of Nevada.
In January 2022, NCEF appointed its inaugural Executive Director, who has over a decade of experience in clean energy investing and climate finance. The Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy provided a federal subgrant to NCEF to support the organization’s start-up. During 2022, NCEF’s Board and the Executive Director have built NCEF’s organizational and programmatic capacity, including implementing scalable financial and accounting systems, building strategic partnerships, and developing NCEF’s investment and technical assistance strategy.
NCEF is working with school districts across Nevada to deploy electric school buses. Due to NCEF’s efforts, several of Nevada’s rural school districts collectively applied for nearly $4 million in federal FY22 rebates for ten electric school buses through the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. NCEF also developed relationships with a broad network of stakeholders and potential partners in Nevada, including state and local governments, Nevada’s Indian Tribes and colonies, school districts, affordable housing developers, local lenders, NV Energy and rural utilities, USDA Rural Development, contractors, labor organizations, community groups, and others.
