Media Contact:  Mark Severts
(702) 367-5523 (office)
(702) 371-8652 (cell)

ELY, Nev.â€" White Pine County residents have another opportunity to have their questions answered about the proposed Ely Energy Center on Friday, June 20, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Bristlecone Convention Center. 

Director of project development David Sims said although the meeting is not required by any of the ongoing permitting processes, it is being held because of the company's continuous commitment to be available to the community.

"Our team has met with many of the organizations in White Pine County, and I've had dozens of individual meetings.  However, we thought it would be a good idea to again give folks the opportunity to visit with others on our team who are responsible for the water plans, air-quality measures, environmental protections and some of the technical aspects of our Ely Energy Center,"Sims said.

Sims will be providing a general status update on the plant and the permitting process at 12:30 p.m. during the scheduled community information meeting.

The Ely Energy Center has an office at 705 Aultman St., and Sims offered that individuals who are not available for the upcoming open house are always welcome to drop by the office.  The company's community representative and Ely native Charlie Basso heads up the local office and can be reached at 775-289-3900.

The proposed Ely Energy Center is designed to be the cleanest coal-fueled power plant in the western United States.  It will be located on one of two sites north of McGill, depending on the outcome of an extensive federal and state approval processes. 

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.