The installation of more energy efficient lighting and ore processing equipment, along with some new construction to improve their ore drying process, has netted an Elko County mine a $173,000 check from NV Energy.

Yukon-Nevada Gold Corp.'s Queenstake Resources USA Ltd. (Queenstake's) Jerritt Canyon Mine will also realize approximately $200,000 in annual savings on their power bill for their efforts.

General Manager Guy Simpson of the Jerritt Canyon Mine said, "Queenstake recognizes it has a social responsibility to manage our energy usage in clean, sustainable ways. In support of this commitment, a portion of the rebate monies received from the project will be used for community-based green projects in the Elko area."

Queenstake participated in NV Energy's Sure Bet program for commercial customers which offers cash incentives and technical assistance to help calculate energy savings and save money on power. Incentives are available for new construction, major renovations and existing facility improvements.

Queenstake's retrofit projects included replacing 200 inefficient lights throughout the mine's buildings with LED light fixtures which reduce energy usage and produce a brighter light output. The mine also retrofitted a rotary dryer with an energy efficient 350-horsepower variable speed drive that allows mine operators to adjust dryer speeds to accommodate ore conditions.

As part of a new construction project, Queenstake built a new bag house, which includes large fans and works in tandem with the rotary dryer to remove moisture from the mined ore. Included in the installation are two 350-horsepower variable speed drives for the fans.

Together, Queenstake's retrofit and new construction projects will save over 3 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

Since the Sure Bet Program began nine years ago, over 906 million kilowatt hours have been saved through energy efficiency improvements, helping local businesses go green and cut energy costs. For more information, visit NV Energy's website at nvenergy.com/SureBet.