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Nevada regulators adopt foil‑balloon safety rule referencing IEEE P2845 under AB 321
Summary
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada adopted draft regulations under AB 321 to address risks from foil balloons striking electrical infrastructure, adopting the IEEE P2845 testing standard by reference after stakeholders including NV Energy and staff reached a consensus, the commission said.
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada voted June 10 to adopt draft regulations implementing Assembly Bill 321’s restrictions on foil balloons, citing the risk that metallic balloons can strike electrical equipment and cause outages, blackouts or fires.
Chair Haley Williamson said the draft regulations before the commission were a consensus product of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, commission staff and NV Energy and “adopt the IEEE P2845 standard in its most current form.” The rulemaking appears in docket 23-07025.
Why it matters: AB 321 directed the commission to set a testing and evaluation standard for the dielectric performance of foil balloons sold or manufactured in Nevada. The commission’s action attaches a nationally recognized technical standard to the statutory requirement, which utilities and manufacturers will use to assess compliance.
Details: Williamson described the change as a rulemaking “to amend, adopt, and or repeal regulations in accordance with Assembly Bill 321 of the 2023 legislative session,” noting the statute referenced the IEEE P2845 standard. The draft regulations were presented as consensus regulations among the Bureau of Consumer Protection, staff and NV Energy.
What happened next: Williamson moved to approve the draft regulations and issue the appropriate order; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
Questions and next steps: The commission did not request further discussion at the meeting. The rulemaking record (docket 23-07025) will govern implementation details and any future contested filings.
The commission then moved to the next agenda item.
