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

For Immediate Release

Nevada Power Company today announced that a new 500kV transmission line capable of providing enough power for approximately 218,000 southern Nevada homes began operating this week.

The 36-mile Harry Allen to Northwest transmission line completes the second leg of Nevada Power's three-part Centennial Project, which will further expand the company's transmission line capacity into and out of the Las Vegas area. This project in conjunction with the Harry Allen- Crystal 500kV line energized in 2002 will support 1750 megawatts of additional generation in southern Nevada.

"Infrastructure projects like this are an important part of being able to meet the demands of growth here in southern Nevada," said Matt Davis, vice president of Distribution Services for Nevada Power Company."Once the entire Centennial Project is completed, it will create a high capacity energy network -- over 100 miles of transmission to connect our customers to new sources of power in the valley. In total, it will enable Nevada Power to supply roughly 3,000 Megawatts of new energy to southern Nevada."

In addition to work on the Centennial Project, the company said by June 1, it will put into operation five new substations throughout the valley.

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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