Sierra Pacific Resources Co. wants to build a $300 million highcapacity transmission project to serve the growing population insouthern Nevada. The 500-kilovolt transmission project wouldprovide about 3,000 MW of generating capacity now proposed near LasVegas, with completion by 2003.

When possible, Sierra Pacific, headquartered in Reno, NV, wouldfollow existing corridors, but it has filed a construction permitand is considering alternate routes. Construction could begin nextyear if the permitting process is approved. Gary Porter, theexecutive director of transmission for Sierra Pacific Power Co. andNevada Power Co., subsidiaries of SPR, said Sierra developers arenow working on siting locations, but he said the financial detailshad not been completed.

Under Sierra Pacific’s plan, generation companies would pay foraccess to the transmission system. As many as 14 new power projectcould be developed in the state by generating companies in the nexttwo years if there is transmission capacity available to serve theplants, Porter said. He said Sierra Pacific also is consideringmore transmission capacity in northern Nevada, but it had notimeline. Two years ago, Sierra Pacific added a 345 kV electrictransmission line, which almost doubled its capacity to importelectricity to the northern part of the state from other utilities.

©Copyright 2001 Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. Thepreceding news report may not be republished or redistributed, inwhole or in part, in any form, without prior written consent ofIntelligence Press, Inc.