By: Mary Wagner, Nevada Field Organizer
Date: July 9, 2026
About: Accessibility and Accountability Measures Concerning the PUCN
To: Joint Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs, Nevada Legislature
Good afternoon, Chair Flores and members of the Committee.
My name is Mary Wagner, and I am the Nevada Field Organizer with Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres. I am here on behalf of parents, senior citizens, and ratepayers who could not be here today.
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada makes decisions that affect every Nevada family. These decisions shape monthly bills, energy reliability, and whether families can safely cool their homes during dangerous heat. But too many people are being left out of that process. When families can't participate, the commission can't fully understand how rising utility costs are affecting real people.
High energy bills are not just a financial issue. They are a public health issue. When families cannot afford to run air conditioning during extreme heat, children, seniors, pregnant people, and people with asthma or heat conditions are put at greater risk.
We ask that the PUCN make public participation easier by holding consumer sessions at times working people can attend, offering virtual and phone options for every meeting, making the written comment process simple to use, following its own Language Access Plan, and giving greater weight to the recommendations of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, the agency that represents Nevada ratepayers.
We also ask that the PUCN do a better job of holding utility companies accountable. Families should not be asked to pay more without transparency, fairness, and a clear explanation of how these decisions affect household budgets and public health.
We recently saw why these changes matter at the June 16 consumer session. On a 105-degree day, ratepayers, including seniors, had to wait outside in the heat just to get into a public meeting. Public meetings should never put people’s health at risk. They should be safe, accessible, and welcoming for everyone.
As an organization that works to protect children and families from the health impacts of extreme heat and air pollution, we urge the PUCN to center affordability, accountability, public health, and meaningful public participation in its decisions.
Thank you for your time and consideration.