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The Carson Nugget hotel-casino in Carson City is reducing its carbon footprint and its power bill by participating in a program that offers incentives for businesses to use less energy.

NV Energy has presented a $29,308 incentive payment to the Nugget for investing in energy efficient lighting. The new lighting should save the hotel-casino about 395,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, equivalent to the energy required to power 43 homes for a year. The lighting improvements will also reduce the Nugget's annual equivalent carbon dioxide emissions by 296 tons. 

The Nugget earned the incentive from NV Energy's Sure Bet program, which encourages Nevada businesses to install energy efficient lighting and equipment.  In 2008, energy efficiency investments done through various Sure Bet programs saved approximately 155 million kilowatt hours of electricity statewide, according to Greg Kern, director of energy efficiency programs at NV Energy.

In order to reduce its energy usage, the Nugget replaced incandescent lights in its hotel guestrooms, restrooms and parking lot with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) that use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights and last about 10 times longer. Additionally, the hotel-casino replaced incandescent lights with 5,200 LED lights in signs throughout the property, including the large"Nugget"sign above the Carson Street entrance, and in many of the casino's slot machines. LEDs (light emitting diodes) use even less energy than CFLs and can last up to 35 times longer than incandescent lights. 

Kern said the project at the Carson Nugget is one of the largest LED installations thus far in northern Nevada.

Businesses that participate in Sure Bet benefit from reduced energy bills and can receive incentive payments to help offset their installation costs. For program details visitNVEnergy.comor call 1-800-342-6335.

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