Nevada families should not be forced to pay the price for corporate negligence.

As wildfires grow more frequent and more destructive across our state, accountability for utility companies like NV Energy is more important than ever. When a utility’s equipment, negligence, or lack of proper upkeep contributes to a wildfire, families deserve the right to recover damages and rebuild their lives.

Liability is one of the only tools we can have to ensure utilities take wildfire prevention and utility maintenance seriously. Weakening that accountability puts communities at greater risk and removes incentives for companies to invest in safety.

NV Energy has already shown it cannot be trusted to police itself. More than 108,000 customers were set to receive refunds tied to tens of millions of dollars in overcharges. A monopoly utility with that track record should not be given a legal escape from responsibility.

At the same time, federal wildfire resources are being cut, making it even more dangerous to reduce protections at the state level. As wildfire risk increases every year, accountability should get stronger, not weaker.

If NV Energy creates the risk, it should bear the responsibility. Nevada families should not be left holding the bill for corporate failures.