James Humm has spent the last nine years traversing Nevada’s governmental roster like a utility player—from serving as deputy chief of staff for a Republican attorney general, to ushering economic development bills through the Legislature under former Gov. Steve Sisolak and current Gov. Joe Lombardo, to leading the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board. Most recently, he was appointed by Lombardo to director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy. 

Humm steps into his new role at a time when Nevada’s energy infrastructure is at a crossroads. According to NV Energy’s 2026 Integrated Resource Plan, statewide demand for electricity is on pace to nearly double in the coming decades. Greenlink, an NV Energy-led development of two new state-spanning high-voltage transmission lines, is one effort to expand the state’s power grid, but a recent Desert Research Institute study suggests the proliferation of new data centers could offset those gains.

The Weekly caught up with Humm to hear his take on what it’s like helping the city and state he grew up in navigate its next big test.

As a Valley native, how has watching the growth we’ve experienced over your lifetime informed your approach to public service?

My dad was born and raised here. In 1953, there were 50,000 people [in Las Vegas], or so he says. And when you go from a couple hundred thousand people to just shy of 3 million, I think water, power, jobs and infrastructure have to really guide us. We have to lean into that anticipated growth, plan for the future and really take a pragmatic but strategic approach.

You worked in private law before joining former Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s office in 2017. What drew you to the public sector? And what was that transition like for you?

I just wanted to pivot to giving back. You hear the words “servant” and “leader” thrown around a lot, but I truly love this state. I am like the biggest Nevada fan in the world. So, when the opportunity arose, it just ended up being an incredible fit. 

You then moved over to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in 2019, where you served under two administrations until Gov. Lombardo named you executive director of the Cannabis Compliance Board in 2023. How did you approach stepping into an industry you hadn’t worked in before?

Coming in, it was two things: keeping an open line of communication and relying on a lot of very smart folks who were more knowledgeable than me. I met with everyone—from key industry stakeholders and trade groups to all different types of licensees like labs, cultivators, producers and dispensaries. The biggest advantage that cannabis had was the passion of the people in the industry. It was about listening to them and saying, hey, what can we fix?

Gov. Lombardo appointed you to lead his Office of Energy in late March. How is Nevada working to overcome its energy challenges?

The projected demand is unprecedented. It exceeds any expectations people probably could have had a year or even two years ago. And it’s not a challenge that’s unique to our state, but it is something that we, NV Energy and the [Public Utilities Commission] will have to work on. We have Greenlink coming online in mid-2027, which will certainly help. 

I have not had the chance to dive into [data centers], but I think the administration has taken a pragmatic approach to that. Let’s be very, very conscious of water and power usage and how they actually fit onto the grid, but as long as they’re economically viable projects that make sense, are cognizant of water and not increasing taxpayer rates, then we’re all for pursuing them.

What are some of Nevada’s other strengths and weaknesses when it comes to energy?

Solar is certainly an opportunity and something that we’ve been able to leverage, and we also have a lot of companies here that have been on the forefront of geothermal technology. Between those two, I think Nevada has been really good at not just meeting the market, but at meeting the moment—or at least putting in the infrastructure and trying to. 

The weaknesses are that we don’t have any meaningful oil or gas production, so all our oil and gases are imported. That’s certainly a challenge, and it’s no secret that there’s some volatility there. The governor issued an order putting together the Fuel Resiliency Committee to figure it out, and we’re having another meeting [this month]. 

Speaking of renewables, Nevada has a mandate requiring NV Energy and other state utility companies to acquire at least 50% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. How are we working to meet that goal?

Nevada is on a strong path toward meeting its 2030 renewable energy goal. NV Energy reported that 46.8% of the electricity provided to customers in 2024 came from renewable sources, well above the current Renewable Portfolio Standard requirement of 34% and nearing the state’s 50% target. The Governor’s Office of Energy remains committed to supporting renewable energy development across Nevada. Bringing new renewable projects online is critical to diversifying the state’s energy mix, maintaining reliability, and meeting Nevada’s long-term energy goals.

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