Sustainability Resources

Codes, Reports & Resources

• Sustainability Resources & Links
• City Tree Canopy Map
• Sustainability Flyer
• Star Communities Report
• Regional Emissions Inventory
• Sustainability Codes
• Southern Nevada Sustainable Systems Inventory
• U.S. Green Building Council
• Energy Fit Nevada
• Tree City USA
• Impact NV, Nevada’s Sustainability Alliance
• Solar Information
• Four Star Community Rating

Overview

Recognized as a national leader in environmental sustainability, the city of Las Vegas has notable achievements in energy efficiency, water conservation, waste diversion, city planning and alternative transportation.

Citizenship

Interested in becoming a United States citizen? Join the city of Las Vegas citizenship class series to receive hands-on assistance with completing your N-400, financing your naturalization process and passing the United States citizenship exam.

Citizenship classes are available in English and Spanish. Classes are held at various community centers in the city. For more information and to sign up visit Recreation.lasvegasnevada.gov and search “citizenship.”

Classes are available at: the Stupak Community Center, 251 W. Boston Ave., 702-229-2488; the East Las Vegas Community Center, 280 N. Eastern Ave., 702-229-1515; and Mirabelli Community Center, 6200 Hargrove Ave., 702-229-6359. 

Businesses interested in providing citizenship education to employees can contact sustainability@lasvegasnevada.gov.

In addition, the city has hosted many naturalization ceremonies over the years to welcome new citizens. Watch the highlights of one of these special ceremonies. 

Water Conservation

The primary source of water for the Las Vegas region is the Colorado River. The city plays a crucial role in the conservation and management of the water supply for its residents and businesses by supporting regional management efforts by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Since 2008, the city has reduced its water consumption from 1.47 billion gallons to 1.18 billion gallons in 2016. These savings were achieved through the replacement of more than 40-acres of grass with synthetic turf at city sports fields and parks. City landscaping utilizes drought tolerant plants and public art. More than 75 million gallons of water per day have been recycled at the city’s wastewater treatment plants and used at golf courses around the valley or returned to Lake Mead.

In the community, water use has declined from approximately 350 gallons per person per day (GPCD) in 1990 to less than 220 GPCD today. Southern Nevada will soon surpass the region’s 2035 goal to reduce consumption through conservation to 199 GPCD. Overall Colorado River water consumption has decreased 40 billion gallons despite an increase of 500,000 residents over the last decade and more than 40 million visitors annually..

Renewable Energy

Through a Renewable Energy Agreement with the state’s investor-owned utility NV Energy, the city of Las Vegas receives 100 percent of the energy it needs from renewable sources:

• Most of the energy for city use is produced at Boulder Solar, a solar facility near Boulder City, Nevada.
• Forty city buildings and facilities, parks, fire stations and community centers have approximately 3 megawatts of net-metered solar covered parking.
• A three megawatt solar plant at the city’s Water Pollution Control Facility provides power for wastewater treatment.
• Additional power that is provided by NV Energy  already satisfies Nevada’s renewable portfolio standard.
• Beginning in October 2017, the city will receive two megawatts of hydropower from Hoover Dam.

The city has invested $70 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades:

• In 2016, city facilities used 125 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 1.3 million therms of natural gas. Of the energy consumed, approximately 30 percent is from wastewater treatment operations, 40 percent from buildings and facilities and 30 percent from streetlights. The resulting costs come to approximately $10 million per year, a reduction from $15 million annually in 2008.
• Green buildings provide benefits through construction that is resource efficient and environmentally responsible. As a part of its Green Building Resolution in 2006, the city utilizes the U.S. Green Building Council’s green building rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), for newly constructed or renovated buildings to at least the LEED Silver Certification level.
• In 2013, the city completed an upgrade of its streetlights to Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures. The first phase of streetlight upgrades replaced approximately 42,000 of the City’s 52,000 existing streetlights.

Waste & Recycling

The city is committed to improving our environment by reducing, reusing and recycling. Community involvement is vital to the city’s success in reaching our waste diversion goals. The city regulates the collection, transportation and transfer of waste and recycling, which is handled by Republic Services of Southern Nevada. In 2013, the city introduced single stream recycling at all facilities, including parks, which have reduced the city’s waste expenses by more than $300,000 from $821,000 annually. As a result, the city reduced the amount of waste sent to the landfill by 30,000 cubic yards (yd3) from 68,000 yd3, and increased its diversion rate to 55 percent.

Land Use & Mobility

The city develops plans for alternative transportation, includes development standards for streets, bike lanes, and paths, and adopts and enforces other plans, codes, and land use policies to help reduce sprawl, provide a diverse mix of land uses preserve open space, ensure good air quality, and create compact, walkable communities. 

The city works closely with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to plan, construct, and maintain transportation networks in the region, including complete streets that allow for multiple modes of transportation. In addition to RTC Transit that provides bus service to more than 66 million passengers on 40 routes annually, the city has improved bicycle and pedestrian networks, including 450 miles of bike lanes and 100 miles of trails and paths. As a result of these efforts, the city was recognized as a Bronze-rated Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Cyclists. 

Nearly 100 percent of the city’s vehicle fleet runs on alternative fuels. In addition to its hybrids, the city was Nevada’s first public agency to purchase electric vehicles. The city also installed charging stations at seven garages, community centers and facilities for general public use, including City Hall and the Development Services Center.