Sierra Pacific Resources
Contact: Analyst Contacts:
Rich Atkinson; 775-834-5640
Barbara Doble; 702-367-5647
Media Contact:
Karl Walquist ; 775-834-3891
Phone: see above

For Immediate Release

Las Vegas, Nev.Â- The Board of Directors of Sierra Pacific Resources (NYSE:SRP) has elected Clyde T. Turner, former chief executive officer of the Mandalay Resorts Group, to fill a vacant position on the Sierra Pacific board.

Turner's term begins immediately and he will stand for re-election by the shareholders at the company's annual meeting in the spring of 2002.

Turner was chairman and CEO of the Mandalay Group from 1995 to 1998 and previously served as the company's president and chief financial officer. The Mandalay Group owns several Las Vegas resorts, including Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus, Excalibur, and The Luxor, as well as other properties across the U.S.

Prior to joining Mandalay in 1993, Turner had worked for 13 years with Mirage Resorts, Inc., serving as the company's executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer. Turner has been active in local and state community and business development activities, serving as a director of the Las Vegas Boys and Girls Club Foundation, a member of the Nevada Gaming Commission and a trustee of the University of NevadaÂ- Las Vegas Foundation.

"We are honored to have a lifelong resident of Nevada and respected business and community leader of Clyde's stature on our board," said Walt Higgins, chairman of the board and CEO of Sierra Pacific Resources."His experience and perspectives will be valuable as we seek to serve the growing needs of our state."

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 50 percent interest in an interstate natural gas transmission partnership, several unregulated energy services companies and Sierra Pacific Communications, a telecommunications network development company.