Becomes only the fourth state to have earned a ‘C+’, the highest cumulative state grade assigned by ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card
CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2025 Report Card for Nevada’s Infrastructure today, assigning eight categories of infrastructure a ‘C+’, which is a one-step increase from the last report card in 2018. Nevada becomes the fourth state with a ‘C+’ grade, the highest grade ASCE has ever assigned to a state’s infrastructure. Georgia, Utah, and Wisconsin also currently have ‘C+’ grades. Nevada’s grade is also one step higher than the national infrastructure grade of ‘C’ in the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which was just released in March.
The grade for each category is below:
Grade Categories
B- Bridges, Wastewater
C+ Aviation, Energy, Public Parks
C Roads
C- Dams, Drinking Water
“Nevadans should be proud that state and local leaders have prioritized the infrastructure systems they depend on every day, which led to the highest grade ASCE has ever assigned the state’s infrastructure,” said Chuck Joseph, co-chair of the 2025 Report Card for Nevada’s Infrastructure. “While there are signs of progress, the report card highlights the challenges all Nevadans will need to address to ensure these systems remain reliable and resilient for the future. By prioritizing investment now and budgeting for the cost of a system’s entire lifespan, all Nevadans will benefit.”
Nevada’s bridge grade remained unchanged at a ‘B-’, which is tied for the highest grade in the report card. Only 1.5 percent of bridges in the state are in poor condition, substantially lower than the national rate of 6.5 percent. Additionally, 75 percent of the state's bridges are in good condition, which is significantly higher than the national average of 44 percent. However, an aging bridge inventory has the potential to cause future problems, with 26 percent of Nevada bridges currently 50 years or older, and this number is expected to increase to 36 percent by 2030. The state currently has a $133 million funding backlog for bridges. Nevada’s road grade is also unchanged from the 2018 report card at ‘C’, which is two steps higher than the national grade of ‘D+’. More than 50 percent of Nevada roads are in good or very good condition, compared to 45 percent of roads in good condition nationwide. Nevada is benefiting from short-term funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which is providing the state with a influx of $2.8 billion over the five-year span of the law for road and bridge improvements. However, that funding is set to expire at the end of 2026, and existing funding sources are not meeting current or future needs. It is estimated that the state will have a $6 billion funding gap for state-managed roads over the next 10 years.
Nevada’s energy grade decreased from a ‘B-’ to a ‘C+’ in the latest report card. As Nevada grows, so does energy demand, and the slow development of new generation capacity threatens the state’s energy grid. More than 60 percent of Nevada’s energy comes from natural gas, most of which is delivered to Nevada by pipelines from other states. Nearly all energy generated in the state comes from renewable sources. Since 2018, NV Energy, which serves most Nevadans, has brought 14 new energy projects online, generating 3,200 megawatts (MW) of power and featuring 1,500 MW of battery storage systems. However, Nevada’s energy needs are growing faster than new generation sources can be developed, as more people move to the state and businesses develop energy-intensive projects, such as data storage centers and AI servers. Fortunately, Nevada’s energy distribution system, which gets power across the state, is in better condition than other states, thanks in part to its relatively new construction.
Like all Western states, the security, reliability, and resilience of Nevada’s water supply remain top priorities for state and local leaders. Nevada’s water grade remains a ‘C-’, which matches the national grade for drinking water. Nevada is the driest state in the nation, and over recent years, the state has implemented aggressive water conservation efforts to ensure the survival of water sources. The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has reduced per-person water use by 48 percent and recycles 99 percent of water coming from homes, either for irrigation or the water is treated and returned to the Colorado River. In addition to concerns about water supply reliability, many of the state’s water treatment and storage facilities are reaching the end of their design life and will either need extensive rehabilitation or replacement. SNWA has $3 billion in capital improvement projects planned over the next decade to help address some of those needs.
Nevada’s dams, which play a crucial role in helping store drinking water before it is distributed across the state, saw a one-step grade improvement to a ‘C-’. Since the last report card, the state has conducted extensive work to obtain updated condition information on dams, and 94 percent of high-hazard potential dams, which are dams that could cause loss of life or property if they fail, now have an emergency action plan. However, the state’s dam safety program is underfunded compared to the national average, and dam inspectors face a heavier workload than those in other states.
The 2025 Report Card for Nevada’s Infrastructure includes several recommendations to raise the grades:
• Nevadans should continue to index the state fuel tax to inflation: While Washoe and Clark Counties have taken positive steps and raised new revenue for transportation infrastructure by indexing their gas taxes, the remaining counties in Nevada should follow suit in future election cycles. Adequate investment in our roads and bridges is critical to ensuring that freight moves seamlessly throughout the state; tourists are easily able to access the parks, casinos and other forms of entertainment; and rural citizens can enjoy the same quality of life as urban residents.
• Increase operations and maintenance budgets as additional infrastructure is added to the network: Much of Nevada’s infrastructure, particularly in the growing suburbs, is new. We must provide adequate operations and maintenance funding to support the state’s new infrastructure, which will save us costly repairs and replacements down the line.
• Continue to support emerging technologies and foster an attractive culture for innovative companies: Nevada is leading the way in infrastructure and mobility innovation, including renewable energy, autonomous vehicles, drone technology and transit systems. We should capitalize on progress and continue to support forward-thinking organizations and innovations. The state’s universities should offer energy programs to help meet the rising demand for a workforce with knowledge of alternative and renewable energy production and utilization.
• Develop and implement a new transportation funding mechanism to compensate for the influx of electric vehicles using Nevada’s roadways.
The report card was created as a public service to inform citizens and policymakers about infrastructure needs in Nevada. Civil engineers use their expertise and school report card-style letter grades to condense complicated data into an easy-to-understand analysis of Nevada’s infrastructure network. ASCE State report cards are modeled after the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which is released once every four years. The 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure assigned America’s infrastructure a ‘C’ grade, the highest national grade in the report card’s history.
About the American Society of Civil Engineers
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 160,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.