NV Energy Lights Tonopah with Compact Fluorescent Lights

Q: How many compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) does it take to light an entire town in central Nevada? A: 14,000. That's how many of the energy efficient lights are being provided for free to all 1,200 households in Tonopah during the next few weeks through NV Energy’s Residential Energy Star Lighting Program.

Since the start of the program in 2003, NV Energy has distributed 10 million of the curly lights statewide. Most have been purchased by customers for discounted prices at big box stores through special arrangements with lighting manufacturers, but more than 250,000 CFLs have been distributed for free through partnerships with nonprofit organizations.

"We've also distributed the light bulbs in a couple of rural communities where our customers don’t have convenient access to large retail outlets and that’s one of the reasons we are  distributing the lights to the residents of Tonopah,” said John Owens, director of renewable generation and energy efficiency for NV Energy. “Our goal is to show customers that CFLs are economical, attractive and a much better option for the environment than incandescent lights."

He said NV Energy is working with Tonopah Town Manager James Eason to distribute a 12-pack of CFLs, along with information about energy conservation, to every household in the community. Residents can pick up their lights when they come to the town office to pay their water bills, and the town plans to deliver lights to citizens who are homebound.

"We're very excited as a community to participate in this program with NV Energy," Eason said. "Residents will be using less energy so it will be a cost savings for them. It’s also a great way for NV Energy to reach out to the community and to educate the public about the benefits of energy efficiency."

Owens said the 14,000 lights going to the citizens of Tonopah can save approximately 600,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

NV Energy has provided recycling bins for the light bulbs that will be located at the town office for the convenience of residents.

According to Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, CFLs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights and last 10 times longer.

The 10 million CFLs distributed by NV Energy are expected to save about 593 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually – enough energy to light nearly 40,000 Nevada homes for a year.

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