Nevada Climate Change Advisory Committee Final Report

On April 10, 2007, Governor Jim Gibbons signed an executive order that created the Nevada Climate Change Advisory Committee (NCCAC). The executive order directed the Committee to propose recommendations by which Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions can be further reduced in Nevada.

Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate, such as temperature, precipitation or wind, lasting for decades or longer. The term is also widely used to describe the impact on the environment from the emissions of GHGs and is often synonymously used with the term “global warming.” Six gases that are commonly accepted as GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perflouorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafloride (SF6).

The Governor, with the assistance of the Nevada State Energy Office, assembled the NCCAC from a diverse group of public agency personnel, private industry representatives, interest groups, and the public at large. At the first NCCAC meeting, the Governor asked the Committee to review policies and impacts related to climate change in Nevada. He emphasized the need for actionable, Nevada-centered solutions. The committee agreed to create a three-part report delineating the potential impacts, highlighting accomplishments, and offering recommendations to address climate change in Nevada. Through the public meetings, the Committee invited several experts to provide presentations on energy transmission, wind energy, water resource issues, and geologic carbon sequestration.