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Employees at NV Energy's Fort Churchill Generating Station near Yerington have been recognized by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies, for working more than 1.5 million hours without a lost-time accident.  The plant crossed its 23-year milestone without a lost-time accident on March 30.

"Few power plants have achieved this kind of milestone. It shows what a cohesive team of individuals can accomplish,"said Plant Director Wade Barcellos."We have well trained employees who understand the importance of doing their jobs safely."  
 
According to EEI, the Fort Churchill plant ranks second nationwide compared to similar-sized facilities for going the longest without a lost-time accident. Compared to the industry overall, Fort Churchill ranks sixth. 

The last time a lost-time accident was recorded at the power plant, Ronald Reagan was president, the Soviet Union was fighting a war in Afghanistan and"America's Most Wanted"made its television debut. 

"This is truly an outstanding achievement and reflects on the commitment by the employees of the Fort Churchill plant toward safety,"said Charles Kelly, director of Industry Human Resource Issues for EEI."As we continue to see more and more oversight on the regulated utility arena, we are proud to point to records like this that help reinforce the industry's commitment to the safety and health of its workforce."

Kevin Geraghty, vice president of power generation for NV Energy, recently presented the EEI's National Safety Award to the plant's 2009 Safety Committee Chairman Mike Garner, an instrument technician at Fort Churchill. The plant operates with two 12-hour work shifts, 365 days per year. Fort Churchill has 33 employees.

The first generating unit at the power plant went into service in 1968, followed by a second unit in 1971. The planted is fueled by natural gas and can produce up to 226 megawatts of electricity. Water from the plant's cooling pond helps sustain wetlands in the Nevada Department of Wildlife's Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area.
NV Energy, Inc. is a holding company with principal subsidiaries, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, doing business as NV Energy. Serving a combined 54,500-square-mile service territory, NV Energy provides a wide range of energy services and products to approximately 2.4 million citizens of Nevada and nearly 40 million tourists annually. For more information, visitwww.nvenergy.com.