What have Sierra Pacific Power and Nevada Power done to ensure customers have reliable electric service?

NEVADA POWER (Southern Nevada)

• Since 2006, more than 1,800 megawatts of company-owned generation have been added to the southern Nevada fleet. These highly efficient plants use less fuel and water and produce less emissions than older plants which were closed thanks to the new generating capacity.
• High caliber of maintenance at the company's generating stations.
• Continuous efforts of linemen, electric technicians and other employees in the field who maintain the company's vast network of power lines and respond to outages around-the-clock.

Electric System Expansion

Nevada Power has completed the third and final phase of Centennial -- a new 48-mile, 500-kV transmission line from Harry Allen to Mead substations -- culminating a project that began in 2000.

Highlights of the Centennial Project include:

• Construction of 176 miles of new 500kV and 230kV transmission lines
• Construction of three new 500kV and 230kV switching stations
• Provides Nevada Power customers access to approximately 3750 MW of new energy supplies
• Upgrades to Harry Allen, Crystal, Northwest and Mead substations.

The Centennial Project was first approved by the Nevada Public Utilities of Commission under the company's amended 2000 Resource Plan.

SIERRA PACIFIC (Northern Nevada)

• Increasing the company's generating capacity by nearly 50 percent with the 541-megawatt Tracy Combined Cycle Plant under construction east of Reno. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in June 2008.This state-of-the-art natural gas generating plant will use about one-third less gas and produce less emissions than plants using older technologies. It is also air cooled, reducing its water usage
• High caliber of maintenance at the company's three generating stations.
• Continuous efforts of linemen, electric technicians and other employees in the field who maintain the company's vast network of power lines and respond to outages around-the-clock.

Electric System Expansion

• Strengthened its electric system over the past decade with the addition of two high voltage transmission lines in the 1990s:
  • The 345,000-volt Alturas Intertie extends for 165 miles from Reno to a substation at the Oregon-California border operated by the Bonneville Power Administration. This line provides access to energy supplies from the Pacific Northwest.
  • The Falcon to Gonder transmission line spans 180 miles between a substation near the Utah-Nevada border and another substation in eastern Nevada. The 345,000-volt line provides an additional transmission connection to electric systems operated by PacifiCorp and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
  • Alturas Intertie, a 345,000-volt electric transmission line that extends for 165 miles from Reno to facilities at the Oregon-California border operated by the federal government's Bonneville Power Administration.
  • Pending regulatory approvals, a similar electric "intertie" is planned for construction in the near future.
  • The new Falcon to Gonder power line, which will be built between the Nevada communities of Ely and Carlin, will provide northern Nevada with additional access to power produced in Utah.
  • Member of the Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC), the organization responsible for promoting the reliability of the entire western power grid. The company operates its electric system according to the WSCC's guidelines, which require that reserves supplies of power be kept available in case of emergencies, such as the failure of a generating unit.