LAS VEGAS, NV — Employees at the 210-megawatt Sun Peak Generating Station achieved a significant milestone this month by marking 25 years of safe plant operation without a lost-time accident. The employees also have worked more than two years without a "recordable" incident, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Plant personnel — who perform numerous operations and maintenance activities — have not experienced a lost-time accident since the plant went into service in 1991. The generating facility utilizes three simple-cycle combustion turbines to produce electricity, which are especially important during the hot summer months when customer needs are at the highest. The natural gas-fueled plant also provides emergency back-up service for other members of the NV Energy fleet of generating resources.
NV Energy President and CEO Paul Caudill noted that the company's top operational priority is safety. "My colleagues at Sun Peak have taken that priority to heart, demonstrating attention to detail and helping each other avoid unsafe conditions or acts. Our greatest desire is that they return home safely every day," Caudill said.
Kevin Geraghty, Senior Vice President of Energy Supply, added that the 25-year milestone is rare in the industry and especially important and impressive, considering the power plant environment of high temperatures, high pressures and high voltages. "I am very proud of this team's longstanding safety accomplishment, as they work around the clock to provide vital electricity service to our customers," Geraghty said.
The Sun Peak Generating Station is located on the eastern side of Las Vegas. It employs five individuals on a rotating basis and can produce enough electricity to serve approximately 125,000 Nevada households.
