PUC of Nevada adopts wholesale connection plan for Verdi Meadows; approves $10,000 withdrawal for engineering report

Carson City — The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada on Sept. 25 adopted a plan to improve Verdi Meadows Utility Company Inc.'s water system that recommends a wholesale connection to the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and approved a related stipulation allowing Verdi Meadows to withdraw $10,000 from its surcharge account to pay for a preliminary engineering report.

The Commission, chaired by Hilly Williamson, voted to adopt the draft order developed in Investigation No. 220-9005 that selects “alternative 3a” — a wholesale connection to Truckee Meadows Water Authority — as the preferred water system improvement plan for Verdi Meadows. Commissioner Brown presented the investigation and recommended adoption; Commissioner Cordova voiced support for the selection as balancing reliability and cost for ratepayers.

Why it matters: The Commission said the wholesale connection (alternative 3a) provides the most certainty for customer bills even though it was not the least expensive alternative. According to the staff presentation, once the wholesale connection is completed, costly components of the existing Verdi system such as wells and storage tanks would be eliminated, changing the local utility footprint and operational responsibilities.

Commissioner Brown, presenting the item, described the order before the Commission and recommended adoption. The order notes that alternative 2a was declined because it could lead to a higher degree of variability in customer bills and that alternative 3b was declined because of substantially higher costs. "I would make a motion for the commission to adopt the recommendations contained in the draft order before you and issue the appropriate order," Commissioner Brown said when moving the item.

Commissioner Cordova said she appreciated the draft order and agreed with staff that the chosen option "provides a nice balance for the ratepayers in this area," noting longstanding frustration and the need for safe, reliable service.

On a separate but related agenda item (Docket No. 25-01041), the Commission considered an application by Verdi Meadows Utility Company Inc. to withdraw funds from its surcharged funds account to pay for a preliminary engineering report (PER) previously authorized in Docket No. 22-01024. The parties filed a stipulation resolving all issues in the docket. Under that stipulation, Shaw Engineering Limited agreed to reduce its fee and the parties agreed Verdi may withdraw $10,000 (instead of the $25,000 originally requested) to pay for PER-related work. The stipulation further states Verdi may not recover PER-related expenses from ratepayers and does not prevent Verdi from hiring Shaw Engineering Limited or another firm for future work.

The Commission voted to accept the stipulation, grant the reduced withdrawal, and issue the appropriate order. Commissioner Brown made the motion; the motion was seconded and carried.

The Commission also accepted, without discussion, regulatory operations staff recommendations and initiated orders for agenda items 3A, 3B, 3C and 4A as a block item.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Sept. 25, 2025 meeting minutes — Motion to approve carried (motion by Chair Hilly Williamson; second; outcome: approved).

- Investigation No. 220-9005 (Verdi Meadows water system improvement plan) — Motion to adopt draft order selecting alternative 3a (wholesale connection to Truckee Meadows Water Authority) carried (mover: Commissioner Brown; second; outcome: approved).

- Docket No. 25-01041 (Verdi Meadows application to withdraw surcharge funds for PER) — Motion to accept stipulation and allow withdrawal of $10,000 (reduced from $25,000) carried (mover: Commissioner Brown; second; outcome: approved). Stipulation requires that Verdi may not recover PER-related expenses from ratepayers.

- Agenda items 3A, 3B, 3C and 4A (regulatory operations staff recommendations) — Accepted en bloc and orders initiated (mover: Chair Hilly Williamson; second; outcome: approved).

Meeting context and next steps

There were no public comments at the beginning or end of the meeting in either Carson City or Las Vegas. Commissioners did not pull any staff items for further discussion. The orders adopted direct staff to issue the appropriate Commission orders; the transcript does not record implementation schedules or specific construction timelines for the wholesale connection to Truckee Meadows Water Authority.

The Commission referenced Nevada law governing public comment procedures during the meeting but did not cite additional statutes or regulatory deadlines in the recorded discussion. Further project-implementation details (construction schedule, permitting, cost allocation among utilities, or required approvals by Truckee Meadows Water Authority) were not specified on the record.

(Reporting by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada transcript.)