NV Energy Clark County Generating Station takes extra precautions to keep you cool

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - For 10 days straight, temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley have reached 110 degrees or above, and The Edward Clark NV Energy generating station located off of Stephanie Street and Russell Road is crucial in preventing power outages.

“It is a big weight on our shoulders to make sure everyone has the power,” said Richard Evans, NV Energy Operations Manager. Using two different types of machines, crews work around the clock to keep everything up and running.

“What we have behind us here is a combined cycle unit,“ Evans said during a tour of the facility. “A gas turbine generator. The combined cycle part of that, we capture the steam, which makes it more efficient.”

Evans said they monitor and check emissions on these machines every day, especially in extreme heat.

“All year long, we plan for the summer,’ said Evans. “We are predicting how much power we are going to need for the year. We have meteorologists that are checking the weather.”

Evans said they also use what are called peaking units.

“These are quick-starting units,” said Evans. “In six minutes, we can have each one online.”

Evans said the peaking units are powered up when another plant has a maintenance issue.

“We will start these at night when solar starts to fall off and other units are running up,” Evans explained.

Inside of a control room is the heart of the NV Energy site, where workers are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They monitor the screens to make sure all the machines are operating smoothly so your air conditioning stays working. To prevent any major shutdowns that could impact customers, Evans said that they avoid doing any maintenance that could hinder starting up a machine.

“We are currently in what they call a ‘no touch,’ and the no touch means we want everything available,” said Evans.

There are a total of nine NV Energy power supply stations in southern Nevada.

More information about how you can prepare or report a power outage can be found HERE.

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