Power curtailment may be offered in LV

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001 | 11:23 a.m.

Large companies that could shut down a portion of their operations or rely on standby power generation for short periods are being sought for a voluntary curtailment program that could save electricity in Nevada.

Nevada Power Co. and its parent, Sierra Pacific Resources Inc., Reno, on Friday announced details of the program, which was proposed last month in a comprehensive energy plan filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

Under the program, customers with a minimum load of 1 megawatt and the ability to curtail half that amount -- 500 kilowatts -- would be eligible. One megawatt represents enough electricity to serve about 650 households.

Mike Smart, acting vice president of resource management for Sierra Pacific, said participating customers would receive curtailment credits based on a percentage of the market price of the electricity. Participants would be notified a couple days in advance of a planned curtailment.

Sierra Pacific spokesman Karl Walquist said several variables would contribute to how much a company could save in any curtailment. About 300 Southern Nevada customers, many of them casinos, are being approached for the curtailment program.