Silverhawk Power Station

The Silverhawk Power Station provides greater reliability for both power and water in Southern Nevada. The 570-megawatt electric power generation facility, located 35 miles north of Las Vegas in Apex, began operating in May 2004.

The largest consumer of power in the Las Vegas Valley, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) owns 25 percent of the Silverhawk facility, which will provide a reliable power source for the authority's water treatment facilities and pumping stations.

The Silverhawk Power Station is the result of a public-private partnership between SNWA and GenWest LLC, a subsidiary of Phoenix-based Pinnacle West Capital Corporation.

In June 2005, Nevada Power Company acquired ownership of Genwest's 75 percent interest in the plant.

The plant's dry-cooled technology supports SNWA's conservation efforts by using 90 percent less water than a typical water-cooled plant. The facility incorporates strict emission limits and the Best Available Control Technology for air quality. As a result, Silverhawk meets stringent air quality requirements, and it will increase the availability of electric power to Southern Nevada.