Nevada Power
Contact: Sonya Headen
Phone: (702) 367-5222

For Immediate Release

Las Vegas, NV - Today the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) approved Nevada Power's request to enhance the Equal Payment Plan, which allows eligible customers to spread electric utility bills over a 12-month period.

The Equal Payment Plan gives Nevada Power customers more flexibility when paying electric utility bills by allowing them to enroll in the plan at any time during the year.

"Most of our customers experience higher electric bills during the summer and winter months and lower bills in the spring and fall," said Mark Ruelle, president of Nevada Power."We're pleased with the PUCN's timely decision. Clearly, they recognize the need to help our customers this summer and this is just one of the many ways we plan to do that."

Customers who are able to take advantage of the Equal Payment Plan know that they have a fixed payment each month. The customers equal payment amount is calculated by applying current rates to a customer's energy usage from last year. The plan is voluntary.

Headquartered in Nevada, Sierra Pacific Resources is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries are Nevada Power Company, the electric utility for most of southern Nevada, and Sierra Pacific Power Company, the electric utility for most of northern Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area of California. Sierra Pacific Power Company also distributes natural gas in the Reno-Sparks area of northern Nevada. Other subsidiaries include the Tuscarora Gas Pipeline Company, which owns a 50 percent interest in an interstate natural gas transmission partnership, several unregulated energy services companies and Sierra Pacific Communications, a telecommunications network development company.

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