Media Contact:
Chelsie Campbell (702) 367-5252

Las Vegas, Nev.– Every day is Earth Day for Nevada Power Company. In keeping with the overall energy strategy of its parent company, Sierra Pacific Resources, Nevada Power is putting energy conservation and renewable energy at the forefront for the state's electric customers.

Nevada already leads the nation in geothermal and solar power per capita. In 2007 and during the first quarter of 2008, the company completed seven new renewable projects totaling 135 megawatts (MW), and an additional eight geothermal projects totaling 288 MW are under development or construction, bringing the state's total to more than 500 MW of geothermal power.

Nevada Power Company has also been community minded in its efforts to help keep Nevada greener including:

• Participation in more than 10 Earth Day fairs to promote energy efficiency and conservation to customers including:

• Councilman Steve Ross' Earth Fair on April 17
• Summerlin Earthfair on April 19
• Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian's Earth Fair
• LVCVA Green event
• UNLV Earth Day on April 23

• Partnering with the New Horizons Academy, the first school in Nevada to register under USGBC's LEED® for Schools.
• Active participation in the Clinton Global Initiative.

However, leading the way in green energy is an effort best accomplished with the help of our customers. The simplest and most effective ways to reduce energy consumption begin at home.

Replacing one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) can help reduce energy use by up to 75 percent and save more than $30 in energy costs over the lifetime of the CFL.

Recently, Nevada Power partnered with local casinos to get CFLs directly into our customers' hands. The casinos distributed informational materials and gave ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs to customers as prizes. During the holiday season, Station Casinos gave employees at each of its 19 properties a 12-pack of CFLs as a holiday gift, amounting to more than 180,000 CFLs.

Due to this innovative lighting program, Nevada Power was awarded with the 2008 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award for our ENERGY STAR Lighting and Appliance Program. Since the program's inception:

• More than 3.3 million CFLs have been distributed in Nevada, accounting for more than 209 million kWh of first-year energy savings.
• More than 43,000 CFLs have been provided to local homebuilders to replace incandescent light bulbs in model homes. Replacing the incandescent light bulbs– which typically operate 24 hours a day in model homes -- provided participating homebuilders a significant reduction in energy costs.

Because of this program, approximately 75 percent of all model homes in Las Vegas now use energy-efficient CFLs provided by the Nevada Power ENERGY STAR Lighting Program.

###