Economic impact

Austin Perea, senior analyst for the Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables team, said some of the biggest benefits from a growing solar industry include job growth and savings for customers.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Nevada had more than 6,500 solar jobs in the second quarter of 2018.

And building on clean energy assets like solar could lead to a better economy within the state, bringing in new businesses and jobs in energy and construction, said Jeremy Aguero, principal analyst with Las Vegas-based Applied Analysis.

“There’s no doubt that there’s a positive economic impact related to renewable energy in Nevada,” he said.

About 88 percent of the energy Nevada consumes comes from outside the state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and this comes at a high price. Nevada’s electric utilities import about $700 million worth of fossil fuels each year, according to the environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council.

“It’s time we stop sending money to other states to buy their energy and invest more in home,” said Kyle Roerink, communications director for Nevadans for a Clean Energy Future, the leading campaign for the ballot measure looking to raise the state’s RPS. “We feel we can be in a much better position to measure up to other states and bolster our economy” with more clean energy.