Nevada Power
Contact: Sonya Headon
Phone: (702) 367-5680

For Immediate Release

Nevada Power Company, Clark County and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department are joining forces to fight crime and increase community safety in the 89109 zip code, Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams announced today.

All three entities are partnering in the"PAL"program, which stands for"Public Area Lighting."During this two-phased program, more than 286 high-pressure sodium streetlights will be installed on Nevada Power Company poles in 83 public alleys. Phase one calls for 138 new lights starting in the area of Swenson Street, between Twain Avenue and Flamingo Road. In phase two, which still needs County Commission approval, Nevada Power Company crews will"change-out"approximately 148 mercury vapor lights and install more energy-efficient high-pressure sodium lights in other county alleys within the 89109 zip code.

Nevada Power Company crews will immediately start installing the new lights. Complete installation should take about two weeks, after which the lights will be maintained by the Company. Each newly-installed light will cost Clark County $6.62 per month to operate. The cost to operate all lights in the program will be approximately $11,000 a year.

"Nevada Power is proud to be partnering with Clark County and Metro on this very useful and inexpensive means to help reduce crime in this area,"said Chuck Lenzie, chairman and chief executive officer, Nevada Power Company."These lights are not just for governmental use; any homeowner can request a PAL light for their property, too."

"Police all across the country say that better lighting means less crime,"Captain Douglas Gillespie, Commander of Metro's Southeast Area said."These new lights will make our ability to patrol these alleyways much easier, because visibility will be much better."

All PAL lights will be equipped with light-sensing devices that shut the lights off during the day and turn them on when the sun sets.