About the Collaborative
Goals and Mission
The climate impacts facing Southern Nevada transcend the boundaries of any one government’s jurisdiction. Intergovernmental collaboration allows for the leveraging of the collective resources of its local and regional governmental entities to ensure the long-term social, environmental, and economic resilience of the entire region. As such, the creation of a regional climate collaborative was identified as a priority action in the All-In Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
In January 2024, the Regional Climate Collaborative of Southern Nevada (RCC) became official. The primary goals of the RCC are to:
- Foster Convening and Capacity Building
- Deliver Regional Public Education and Outreach
- Take Action on Climate Solutions
- Share and Leverage Resources
About the Collaborative
Interlocal Agreement
In January 2024, the participating entities in the Collaborative (see below) entered into a voluntary Interlocal Agreement to support the implementation of the All-In Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. The Interlocal Agreement "sets forth a collaborative approach by which the Participating Entities aim to further the actions recommended in the All-In Community Plan in Southern Nevada."
To read the entire agreement including more detail about each of the listed goals, click on the link to the executed Interlocal Agreement.
Participants of the Collaborative
Who are the Participants of the Collaborative?
Climate Collaborative participating entities include Clark County, the five cities within Clark County (Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Mesquite) and two regional agencies (Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada). Between September 2023 and February 2024, the Climate Collaborative hosted six working sessions to review the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) requirements, discuss updated data and analyses for the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, identify high impact strategies for the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), and develop and begin to implement a communications and engagement strategy.
Each participating entity is also doing really impactful work in their own communities to support the All-In goals and actions. Below you will find some highlights of what each is working on!
Participants of the Collaborative
City of Boulder City
Boulder City is committed to renewable energy sources for its community as a Federal Hydropower and Utility scale solar customer. Boulder City receives over 75% of its energy from renewable sources and is seeking to expand this to 95% by 2026.
Boulder City is committed to conserving water and energy for its community and the region. Some of the examples of this commitment is through:
- Offering rebates for water and energy saving devices.
- Removing non-functional turf at city facilities while upgrading irrigation at parks and golf courses to improve watering efficiency.
- Partnering with SNWA to reuse 1,200 acre-feet of treated wastewater annually, which could allow up to 4,000 new homes while using the same amount of water.
Boulder City is also committed to preserving the natural environment and has partnered with the National Park Service to receive a grant from the Economic Development Agency and the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Outdoor Recreation to replace nearly all of its streetlights with light pollution reducing and less energy using fixtures.
Participants of the Collaborative
Clark County
In 2020, in an effort to lead by example, Clark County, through its Department of Environment & Sustainability (DES), launched the All-In Initiative with the development of the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan for County operations. Soon after, the County stepped up to lead the update of a regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and develop the region’s first comprehensive climate vulnerability assessment (CVA). While the GHG inventory looks at the sources of emissions that contribute to climate change, the CVA identifies the human, natural, economic, and infrastructural areas within the region that are most at risk due to a changing climate. The outcomes of these two assessments were instrumental in laying the foundation for the All-In Community Sustainability & Climate Action Plan.
Since its adoption in April 2023, the County and its partners have been driving implementation of the All-In Community Plan in key areas:
- Already possessing the largest hybrid fleet among Nevada government agencies, Clark County is now pushing toward an all-EV fleet by 2050.
- From 2022-2023 the County led a region-wide Transportation Electrification Working Group to identify the best opportunities for EV infrastructure in Southern Nevada and developed an EV Ordinance template for all jurisdictions to consider so there is standardized language and requirements around how EV infrastructure is incorporated into new development.
- The County is in the process of securing a Clean Cities Coalition designation from the U.S. Department of Energy. This would place Southern Nevada in a network of regions dedicated to the economic, environmental, and energy security of the county through the reduction of petroleum fuel usage.
Environmental Compliance:
- The Clark County Desert Conservation Program mitigates the impact of development on desert ecosystems and threatened and endangered species through compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act. The program does this through research, acquisition of sensitive habitats, habitat restoration, public information and education, and more. Mojave Max - a threatened Desert Tortoise - is the official mascot of the Mojave Desert Ecosystem.
- DES is the air pollution control agency for Southern Nevada and as such is responsible for ensuring the air quality in Clark County meets the standards established under the Clean Air Act to protect human health.
Participants of the Collaborative
City of Henderson
Henderson Strong, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, communicates the vision, long-term goals, and strategies that guide physical development and sustainable growth in the city over the next 20 years as mandated by Nevada Revised Statute. One of the key elements of our Henderson Strong is Healthy, Livable Communities, which laid the foundation for the City of Henderson’s sustainability initiatives. Henderson created a multi-departmental working group to build capacity for sustainable development projects and to reduce water uses.
This multidepartment team works to identify strategies and solutions to expand sustainability efforts and create a local Climate Action Plan in alignment with the regional All-In plan. The citywide sustainability effort will reinforce the connection with the regional All-In plan, leverage the research, and apply regional principles as it relates to Henderson at the local level.
Henderson’s initial focus was on creating and launching our H2One campaign – Henderson’s call to conserve water. H2One is Henderson’s commitment to doing our part to lead water conservation efforts both locally and regionally while empowering our community members to become conservation champions. H2One asks residents to come together to conserve water by
- Complying with the regional watering schedule
- Reporting water waste
- Taking advantage of rebates by removing useless grass and installing water smart landscaping
Through Henderson’s water conservation efforts, we reduced citywide water usage by more than one billion gallons in 2023 as compared to 2022. To learn more, visit cityofhenderson.com/H2One.
Participants of the Collaborative
City of Las Vegas
The City of Las Vegas is a global leader in sustainability, committed to sustainable growth, development, planning, and implementation. Beginning in 2005, the Las Vegas was one of the first major cities to sign on to the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. Since that time the City has made a number of accomplishments including:
- LEED for Cities Gold certification
- 6.2 MW of solar at 40 facilities
- Turf conversions and xeriscaping, in addition to drought tolerant water conservation standards
- 50,000 LED streetlights
- Energy efficiency at large facilities
- More than a dozen LEED certified green buildings
- Urban forestry / heat island program
- Transportation electrification at City facilities and garages
- Single stream recycling at all city facilities
Most recently, the City of Las Vegas has continued its implementation pursuant to the Sustainability, Resilience, and Conservation goals of the City’s 2050 Master Plan and continues to collaborate with the All-In Regional Climate Collaborative.
- Hosting of NV Energy’s Community Solar installation at Freedom Park in East Las Vegas
- Planting of more than 3,000 trees in urban heat island locations
- LEED Certification of the Health-Wellness clinic in the Corridor of Hope
- Installation of new EV charging stations at City parking facilities and community centers, including an Urban Charging Depot in the Las Vegas Arts District
- Addition of 500 kW of solar at the LEED certified Municipal Court, Fire Station 3, Fire Station 108, and Civic Plaza
Participants of the Collaborative
City of Mesquite
The City of Mesquite is proud to support the goals of the All-In Community Plan by implementing policies and programs to address climate change and create a more sustainable future for all. Three examples of those policies and programs include:
- In conjunction with the Virgin Valley Water District and the Virgin River Coalition (VRC), the City is supporting programs to provide information and advise Mesquite citizens about water use, conservation, and the City’s relationship with the Virgin River.
- In conjunction with Overton Power District #5, the City of Mesquite is working to develop alternative energy sources for homes and businesses.
- In conjunction with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), the City is working to develop the City’s transportation networks to encourage the use of public transportation, alternative fuels, electric vehicles, and non-motorized modes of transportation.
Participants of the Collaborative
City of North Las Vegas
SNWA has mandated that all local municipal agencies remove non-functional turf in parks and streetscapes by December 31, 2026. The City of North Las Vegas plans to convert approximately 2 million square feet of turf and replace with a lush, desert landscape including trees, shrubs, ground cover, boulders, and rock mulch. The estimated water savings is approximately 92 million gallons of water annually or 280 acre feet of water which is the equivalent of 140 Olympic size swimming pools. Our first turf conversion should begin in the summer of 2024.
The City of North Las Vegas Parks & Recreation Department has partnered with ImpactNV to plant 5,000 trees before Earth Day 2032. ImpactNV goal is to plant 100,000 trees statewide by Earth Day 2032, and the City of North Las Vegas is well on its way to accomplishing their goal. As of May 2024, we have planted 327 trees since November 2023 with tree planting projects at the following parks:
- Aviary Park - 100 trees planted
- Silver Mesa Recreation Center - 32 trees planted as part of the NFL Green Team event
- Monte Vista Park - 50 trees planted
- Liberty Park (NLV City Hall) - 26 trees plante
- Desert Horizon Park - 65 trees planted
- Goynes Park - 54 trees planted.
Another tree planting is scheduled in May and then we will start planting trees again in September.
Participants of the Collaborative
RTC
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) oversees public transportation, traffic management, roadway design and construction funding, transportation planning and regional planning efforts. Examples of current policies and programs include:
Southern Nevada Strong Regional Plan: Adopted in 2015, this regional plan was created to manage growth, plan for the future, and identify strategies to create sustainable communities that promote a higher quality of life for all residents. RTC tracks plan implementation, updates, and provides technical assistance in support of transit-oriented and infill development, food access, human services transportation, and regional grants coordination.
Extreme Heat Planning: Southern Nevada has been identified as one of the fastest-warming regions in the country. The RTC utilizes mapping and a heat vulnerability index to identify locations for cooling corridors and climate-adaptive infrastructure and will lead the Southern Nevada Transportation Resiliency Plan, which will include a regional extreme heat response plan.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Plan: The RTC will lead a regional-scale electric vehicle charging infrastructure plan with a focus on increasing community charging for underserved communities. RTC staff also chair the Southern Nevada Clean Cities Coalition, which is working to expand the use of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure.
Participants of the Collaborative
SNWA
SNWA supports the goals of the All-In Community Plan through a number of policies and programs:
- Through the Water Smart Landscapes incentive program, more than 200 million square feet of grass has been replaced with drip-irrigated trees and plants, which saves more than 12 billion gallons each year. Since its implementation in 1999, more than 223 million square feet of grass have been converted through more than 83,000 projects.
- Alternative fuels power more than 90 percent of SNWA and LVVWD vehicles. The LVVWD has received a Government Green Fleet Award multiple times over the past decade. In 2020, the LVVWD and SNWA fleet was awarded as one of the 100 Best Fleets, earning recognition in the “Top 100 Fleets in North America” and “Top Green Fleets in North America.”
- The Water Efficient Technologies program offers financial incentives to commercial and multifamily property owners who install water-efficient devices. Each participant can earn up to $50,000 for implementing new, water-saving technologies. Since 2001, more than 450 projects have been completed which has produced more than 24 billion gallons in cumulative savings.
US EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant
CPRG Phase I
Phase I of the CPRG program is called the Planning Phase. In this phase, the Regional Climate Collaborative is required to develop a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), which highlights just those actions that the region deems most important to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The PCAP was delivered to EPA on February 29, 2024.
CPRG Phase I also requires the development of a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) for the region. The CCAP is in development now and is slated to be complete by December 2025.
US EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant
CPRG Phase II
Phase II of the CPRG program is the Implementation Phase. This is the phase that offers the potential for significant funding to support the implementation of aggressive climate solutions. The Regional Climate Collaborative prioritized the All-In Home & Building Improvement Hub for the Implementation Grant due to its ability to meet the strict criteria of the grant including:
- Potential to achieve significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions between now and 2030.
- Ability to yield benefits to everyone throughout all of Southern Nevada.
- Demonstration that there are no other funding sources significant enough to implement this action on a large scale.
As proposed, the All-In Home & Building Improvement Hub has the potential to retrofit up to 23,000 homes throughout Southern Nevada to help lower utility bills, improve indoor air quality, and reduce GHGs. The application for the CPRG Implementation grant was submitted to EPA on April 1, 2024. Award announcements are expected by Summer 2024.