By Krystal Hosmer

Sometimes it takes months or even years to see the full impact of a government policy decision. But in Nevada last year, the Legislature and Gov. Brian Sandoval enacted a single bill that immediately revived an industry and put thousands of Nevadans, including me, back to work.

It was a testament to the power of good policy to create economic opportunity in our state, and one that offers lessons for voters and legislators in the coming year, as they consider another clean energy measure, this time to increase the amount of power Nevada gets from homegrown renewable resources.

In June 2017, the Legislature passed and Sandoval signed Assembly Bill 405, a bipartisan measure to re-establish fair compensation for homeowners who invest in new residential rooftop solar energy systems and share the power they produce with their neighbors. This law overturned an ill-conceived 2015 decision by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada that applied punitive costs to both existing solar users and potential new solar customers, making solar unaffordable for most homeowners.

In 2016, there were only 287 applications for new residential rooftop solar installations statewide. Solar companies were driven out of state, costing our state thousands of good jobs. Needless to say, the decision was unpopular.

A new PUC reworked the rules to take some of the sting away from existing rooftop solar investors, but it took AB 405 to restore the solar industry to the state. The effect was immediate and extraordinary.

In 2017, when AB 405 was signed into law, the number of applications for rooftop solar systems soared to more than 3,300. That’s a whopping 11 times more applications from families, schools, churches and businesses looking to invest in solar to manage their energy bills, thanks to good policy. With Nevada’s virtually unlimited solar resources, energy consumers once again saw the value in going solar. As a result, I was hired at Robco Electric’s solar division, which installs rooftop solar systems.

The day that bill was signed, I literally jumped up and danced because it meant I could go back to work. As a Nevada resident since 1979, I know we have all the sunshine we need to power the entire United States right here in Nevada. For me, growing the state’s use of renewable power also means I am preserving a livable planet for my daughter. I am incredibly grateful every day to be able to make a good living doing something I deeply believe in.

Policymakers from across the political spectrum also recognized the importance of clean energy and energy independence, of good jobs and economic growth. The lessons learned from the PUC’s mistakes and the Legislature’s triumph also apply to Nevada's energy future.

This fall, Nevadans will have the opportunity to vote on an initiative to increase the amount of renewable energy utilities use to power our state, raising it from 25 percent by 2020 to 50 percent by 2030.

We've already proven access to clean energy is good for Nevada's economy. Global businesses have relocated to Nevada, bringing with them thousands of jobs, to take advantage of our clean energy resources and a state government that understands its benefits. And many of our largest businesses, including MGM and Apple, are doubling down on solar investments because they make good business sense.

It’s good to see large companies already leading the way on clean energy investment, but it’s up to us to keep Nevada the undisputed leader in renewables. Raising our clean energy standard will keep us competitive with neighboring states (many of which have already raised their own renewable goals and are meeting them with a diverse mix of clean energy resources, including low-cost solar) and encourage more investment and job growth.

Some people are using the possibility of a transition to a new, competitive energy market structure as an excuse to delay a stronger clean energy standard. But the potential for an open market shouldn’t slow us down. In fact, it’s all the more reason we need to stand up for access to clean energy.

Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, a strong clean energy standard is the only way to guarantee Nevadans get the clean power they’re demanding.

Disclosure: MGM has donated to The Nevada Independent. You can see a full list of donors here.

Krystal Hosmer works in the solar division at Robco Electric in Las Vegas.