Media Contacts:
Karl Walquist, (775) 834-3891
Mike Draper (R&R Partners) (775)303-3252

Presentations scheduled for today at the Pioneer Center
 
Sierra Pacific Power Company is awarding $41,000 in energy efficiency grants today to seven nonprofit organizations in Washoe County to help them reduce energy consumption and lower their power bills.  Another $65,448 has been awarded to nonprofit organizations throughout rural Nevada to facilitate a variety of energy efficiency improvements.
     
This year's nonprofit grant checks will be presented to local representatives by Mary Simmons, vice president of External Affairs for Sierra Pacific, today at 2:30 p.m. at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South Virginia Street in Reno. 

 "The grants should help the nonprofits better manage their utility costs and reduce the total amount of energy Sierra Pacific must generate at its power plants or purchase from other suppliers,"said Larry Rackley, project leader for energy efficiency and conservation at Sierra Pacific.

The nonprofit organizations will use the grants to make a variety of energy efficiency improvements to their facilities, from installing additional insulation and energy efficient fluorescent lights to upgrading their heating and cooling systems. The following organizations will be receiving grants: Catholic Community Services, Disability Resources, the HAWC Community Health Center, the Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence, the Northern Nevada Literacy Council, the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts and the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society in Incline Village.
     
The projected annual energy savings from the grants is expected to be approximately 69,915 kilowatt hours of electricity, Rackley said. Ã¢â‚¬Å“The total sum of energy saved in rural and northern Nevada from the Nonprofit Grant Program will be in excess of 143,000 annual kilowatt hours.”
     
Last year, Sierra Pacific awarded $100,000 in grants to nonprofit agencies, including nine in Washoe County.  The organizations realized an average annual energy savings of $200 to $1,500 on their power bills.
     
For more information on the Nonprofit Grant Program or for information on other energy conservation programs and tips, log ontowww.sierrapacific.com.