Sierra Pacific Power Company
Contact: Robert Sagan/Karl Walquist
Phone: (775)834-4834 / (775)834-3891

For Immediate Release

Continuing hot temperatures, increased mining activity and the area?s rapid growth caused record electric use on August 5, 6 and 7, according to Sierra Pacific Power Co.

Between 5 and 6 p.m. on the three days, Sierra Pacific?s customers used 1,302, 1,318 and 1,342 megawatts respectively. The 1,342 mark is 117 megawatts higher than last year?s summer peak of 1,225, set on July 22, 1996, a 9.6 percent increase, said Sierra Pacific officials (A megawatt of electricity is enough to serve approximately 650 households in Sierra Pacific?s service territory).

According to the utility, these continuing electric"peaks" (as they?re called in the industry), underscore the need for the Alturas transmission intertie line. The line will provide northern Nevada with a new energy source of 300 megawatts from utilities in the Pacific Northwest and improve the company?s system reliability.

Sierra Pacific serves more than 278,000 electric customers in northern Nevada and northeastern California.