Sierra Pacific Power Company
Contact: Gary Aldax
Phone: (775) 834-5508

For Immediate Release

Sierra Pacific Power Company has awarded more than $42,000 in grants to 15 non-profit organizations in its service area to fund weatherization and energy-efficient retrofit projects at the agencies'facilities.

Representatives from the agencies received the grant checks from Jeff Ceccarelli, president, Sierra Pacific Power Company, and Bob Balzar, director of energy efficiency and conservation, at a presentation ceremony on Thursday, April 16, 2003 at the Reno Family YMCA.

The grants will fund projects like installation of windows, appliances and heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, insulation and replacement of inefficient lighting fixtures. By reducing their energy costs, these organizations are able to devote more of their financial resources to their mission, their clients and their community.

"This program is just one of a series of programs we've developed at Sierra Pacific and at our sister company, Nevada Power, to help our customers better manage their utility costs and at the same time, help our company to decrease the total amount of energy we need to purchase on the market or produce in our own power plants,"said Balzar.

As a result of the improvements funded by this program, it is estimated that the 15 organizations receiving funding will save almost $18,000 a year in electricity costs, collectively.

Agencies receiving grants include:

Advocates to End Domestic Violence, Carson City: $3,745
Boys& Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, Reno: $3,000
Committee to Aid Abused Women, Reno: $3000
Catholic Community Services of Northern Nevada, Reno: $3,000
The Children's Cabinet, Reno: $3,000
Community Chest, Virginia City: $2,900
Community Counseling Center, Carson City: $3,000
Friends in Service Helping, Elko: $1,924
HAWC Clinic, Reno: $3,000
Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko: $2,403
Reno Family YMCA, Reno: $3,000
Sparks Family YMCA, Sparks: $2,720
Step 2, Reno: $3,000
WARC, Reno: $2,300
Washoe Legal Services, Reno: $3,000