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Plant in central Nevada will supply electricity

Sierra Pacific Power Company announced today that it has signed a long-term agreement with Beowawe Power LLC to purchase electricity generated with geothermal energy from its plant in central Nevada. 

Beowawe Power will supply up to 17.7 megawatts* of power under the 20-year term of the contract that will become effective January 1, 2006. Sierra Pacific will use the electricity to supply its customers in northern Nevada.

The geothermal plant has been in commercial operation since December 1985 and is located southeast of Battle Mountain, Nevada, straddling Lander and Eureka Counties. Energy produced at the plant is currently under contract to another utility. 

"We're pleased to be able to reach an agreement with these pioneers in the renewable energy field,"said Roberto Denis, Senior Vice President of Generation and Energy Supply for Sierra Pacific. According to Denis, Sierra Pacific currently purchases approximately 95 megawatts of electricity from geothermal resources in northern Nevada. He anticipates another 30 megawatts of power generated by geothermal resources will be on line within in the next 18 months.

The contract with Beowawe Power will help Sierra Pacific Power Company meet the requirements of state legislation which mandates that 15 percent of a utility's energy supply be produced with renewable resources (solar, hydro, wind, geothermal or biomass) by the year 2013. 

Denis said some 10 percent of Sierra Pacific's retail energy sales are currently served through renewable resources. 

*One megawatt will serve approximately 1,000 typical homes.