Sierra Pacific asks customers to conserve electricity

Sierra Pacific Power Co. asked customers to voluntarily reduce their electricity usage Monday.

The suggestion was prompted by a yellow alert, signifying that the demand for electricity in the company's service might exceed supplies.

Customers from Northern Nevada and the northeastern California service area were asked to conserve from 11:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Usage was expected to peak around 4 p.m., when electricity was at its highest demand, said Sierra Pacific spokesman Karl Walquist. The peak could potentially cause outages.

"The yellow alert is attributable to the heat wave we are experiencing, combined with a mechanical problem," Walquist said.

At the Valmy Power Plant on Highway 50 between Battle Mountain and Winnemucca, a water feed pump failed. Walquist said the company repaired the pump that caused problems and was expected to be running at full capacity at 5 p.m. Monday.

Walquist said this is the first yellow alert of the season to occur for Sierra Pacific customers. The company must evaluate the alert level daily, based on weather patterns, electricity usage and plant capabilities.

There were some outages on June 16, but they were from unrelated problems.

Walquist said the first step in conserving power is to turn up the thermostat a few degrees.

"It should be as warm as tolerable, between 78 and 80 degrees," he said.

Other conservation tips include delaying the use of washing machines, dishwashers or other large electrical appliances, and turning off lights, computers or any type of appliance when it is not in use.

When customers voluntarily conserve electricity, they help to prevent a red alert, a more severe condition that requires involuntary rotating outages, Walquist added.

"Of course there is concern (for a red alert), but our hope is to be able to get enough people to conserve so that we can avoid that," he said. "Even though the yellow alert is expected to end, we are still asking people to conserve over the next couple of days until the heat wave subsides."