Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said in a recent state of the state address that it is "likely" Nevadans will have energy choice in the future, as Sandoval formed a Governor's Committee on Energy Choice.

Sandoval's office said that the full Committee will be announced in the near future. Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison was named to serve as Chairman of the Committee

The Committee will include members of the Legislature, the Attorney General, the state's consumer advocate, and representatives from the following stakeholders:

• A rural/municipal co-op utility

• Large consumers of electricity

• The Nevada Resort Association

• Mining

• NV Energy

• Organized labor

• Small or mid-sized businesses

• Senior citizen organizations

• Renewable energy industries

• Homebuilders

• Conservation organizations

Notably absent from the list of Committee members, as reflected in an online version of an executive order, is any representative specifically from a retail energy supplier or even a non-renewable merchant generator (certain suppliers and generators may qualify under the renewable energy industry category, but it was unclear if this category would include such retail suppliers).

Among other things, the Committee was charged with addressing:

• Protecting consumers from rate increases caused by the opening of energy markets

• Addressing stranded investments

• Providing Nevadans with energy choice as soon as reasonably practical or possible

See the executive order creating the Committee for the full list of segments to be represented on the Committee and the Committee's responsibilities

"This Committee will help prepare us for the complicated changes that lay ahead if Nevadans approve energy choice ... I will ask that they prepare a transition plan enabling us to enter the new markets by 2023," Sandoval said

Sandoval noted the previously reported recent passage of a ballot initiative which would, if approved in a second consecutive election, introduce retail electric choice in the state

"With the overwhelming passage of Question 3 last year, it is likely Nevadans will have energy choice in the future," Sandoval said

"Stability in our energy market is crucial for all Nevadans. A second passage of this Initiative will change the way Nevadans consume energy from flipping on hallway lights and ensuring power in our hospitals to illuminating the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip," said Sandoval. "By bringing together these stakeholders, we can properly prepare for what could be a major utility transformation. The Lieutenant Governor is the right person to navigate this complex discussion and I am confident in his ability to bring forward the best recommendations to secure the promise and potential of the Silver State’s energy future."