How is Las Vegas Powered?

Las Vegas is a huge consumer of power. The provider for this power is NV Energy, which released their 2017 figures. The company has 1.2 million customers, not including a state tourist population of 43 million annually. The territory is more than 4,000 square miles. It is divided into Northern and Southern sectors with a peak load of 1,824 megawatts in the north and 5,929 megawatts in the south. For more details view the NV Energy report here.

Power is drawn from the national electrical grid. More than 6,000 power generation plants supply electricity and are powered by:

 

Even though Las Vegas has a large quantity of power plants of different styles, they are not excluded from power outages. When power is lost to the residential sector, risks range from convenience to health issues. High temperatures without the benefit of air conditioning can contribute to health problems.

When power fails in a full-service casino, the casino can suffer large financial losses in a short time span. From the loss of revenue at the gambling area to the loss of revenue from the hotel rooms, safety concerns are also escalated. Elevators stop between floors and security systems and outside lighting are not available after dark. 

In late December 2017, a fire in a service elevator knocked out power to the 2,500-room Rio casino. A backup generator was in place, but water from the sprinkler system shorted the generator out. At least 950 guests had to be relocated off property. As more guests arrived during the extended power outage, the number rose to about 1,500.

A casino that was equipped with a standby power generation system was able to supply power to 200 customers, including a police station when utility power failed for ninety minutes. Some slot machines were not powered but some non-essential lighting was secured. No guests had to be relocated, and operation continued normally. This illustrates the importance of having a properly installed and serviced emergency power generation system and the critical role generators play.

When upgrading or designing a backup power system for a casino or other similar facility, a low hour pre-owned generator can provide the answer at a substantial savings. Contact Generator Source today and we can help with design and equipment selection.