The state agency that provides the central staff support for the Nevada State Legislature is going green. Solar panels installed on the roof of Legislative Counsel Bureau's newly expanded printing office and warehouse in Carson City are expected to reduce the Bureau's annual electric bill by approximately $7,200, or $144,000 over the next 20 years.  

On Wednesday, July 23, the agency is celebrating the completion of both the expansion project and the new photovoltaic solar panels that will generate approximately 30 kilowatts of electricity. At the event, the Bureau will receive a $150,000 rebate, or $5 per watt of installed photovoltaic electricity produced by the panels, for participating in Sierra Pacific Power's SolarGenerations program.

Michael Yackira, president and chief executive officer of  Sierra Pacific's parent company, Sierra Pacific Resources, will present the rebate to Legislative Counsel Bureau officials at a press conference scheduled 9:30 a.m. at the new facility on 301 South Stewart Street in Carson City.

The agency will also receive a $3,974 incentive payment from Sierra Pacific Power's Sure Bet program for the expansion project's energy efficient lighting design.

Among state officials expected to attend the event are Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and State Treasurer Kate Marshall, whose office arranged the lease-purchase financing for the expansion project. 

"Since the Legislature requires public utilities to use more renewable energy, it makes sense for the Legislature to demonstrate that it's practical to incorporate renewable energy systems into new construction,"said Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau."Solar is particularly appealing in a state like Nevada with our abundance of sunshine and cloud-free days. In addition, the incentive programs administered by Sierra Pacific help make it affordable to be green."

Added Malkiewich,"Our Legislature has indicated that it should, as an institution, be a leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency."

The rebate will offset more than half of the $276,000 cost for installing the solar panels.

The SolarGenerations program was established by the Nevada State Legislature in 2003 to encourage Nevadans to use solar energy. The program is administered by Sierra Pacific Power in northern Nevada and Nevada Power Company in Las Vegas."Thanks to State Legislature and the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, Nevada has one of the most aggressive programs in the nation to encourage solar energy,"explained Greg Kern, director of energy efficiency and customer strategy for Sierra Pacific Power and its sister company in Las Vegas, Nevada Power.

Since the start of the program, 298 photovoltaic installations have been completed statewide. They use solar energy to generate nearly 1.7 million watts of electricity, Kern said.

Headquartered in Reno, Sierra Pacific Power Company is the principal electric utility for most of northern Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area of California, and the natural gas distribution company for the Reno-Sparks area. The company serves approximately 366,000 electric customers and 149,000 natural gas customers. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sierra Pacific Resources, which also is the holding company for Nevada Power Company, the electric utility for southern Nevada.