LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Liberty Utilities, which supplies electricity for the Tahoe Basin, will be entering the energy market to seek new suppliers. NV Energy, which has previously supplied 75% of the energy to Liberty, will be providing service until the Greenlink Nevada transmission project completes in spring 2027.
According to both Liberty Utilities and NV Energy, NV Energy sold electric system assets to Liberty in 2009, agreeing to provide energy and generation capacity for a transition period. A spokesperson for NV Energy said, “From the beginning, it has been understood that Liberty Utilities would eventually secure its own transmission access and energy supply so it could serve customers independently.”
Local Liberty president Eric Schwarzrock said that Liberty had requested transmission service in the past. NV Energy had also extended the transition period until the end of 2025. “As a good neighbor and in the interest of continued reliability for customers, NV Energy agreed to keep providing service until Liberty’s transmission service is available.”
Liberty has now requested an update to its resource plan from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as part of this change. Schwarzrock said, “This gives us an opportunity to go to market where there are more options in general.” He added that Tahoe is a good region to match with other energy loads in the market, as the peak season hits during winter.
The Greenlink West transmission project, which is expected to come online in 2027, is NV Energy’s project spanning from Las Vegas to Yerington. On their website, they state, “This creates a renewable energy highway that allows access to Nevada’s resource-rich renewable area zones.”
“Once operational, Greenlink West will allow Liberty to use NV Energy’s transmission system to purchase and deliver its own energy, as originally intended,” said NV Energy’s spokesperson.
While Liberty considered connecting to California, Schwarzrock said that it would require a transmission line over the Sierras, which would take considerable time and effort to build. Liberty is more likely to seek power outside of California, potentially in Utah or Idaho. “It’s about using the facilities in place efficiently and effectively.”
Liberty is prioritizing the opportunity to increase their renewable options, as well as affordability to customers. “We’re hopeful that we can bring the prices down and we’re looking for it to be as cheap as possible for customers,” said Schwarzrock.
Schwarzrock told the Tribune that the year was plenty of time to figure out their RFP (Request for Proposal) on energy suppliers. “You can run an RFP in a few months. We wanted to give ourselves as much time as possible before and after it.”
He also said, “Most customers would have no idea anything changed once we go through this. If there was an effect for bill changes, we would certainly notify our customers.”
Both Liberty and NV Energy said they wanted to remain as transparent as possible with customers through this transition. Liberty will have more information in the coming days on their website, and customer care representatives will also be able to share information with the public.
Local advocacy groups TAHOE SPARK and the Tahoe Climate Change Action Network are interested in regional action among agencies, especially around renewable energy and energy reliability. The Tribune will be following up with these groups in a future story.
Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.
