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Casinos Help to End Las Vegas Blackout3 July 2001LAS VEGAS, Nevada – July 3, 2001 –As reported by the L.A. Times: “A California-style electricity crisis ambushed Las Vegas on Monday afternoon, leaving about 10,000 residential customers without power for 45 minutes until casinos voluntarily reduced their own consumption to make up for the energy shortfall. ”The blackout, on a day when temperatures reached 120 degrees on the Strip, was triggered by record demand for electricity, the failure of one local generating unit and a decision by power generators to save electricity for their primary customers instead of delivering it to Las Vegas as promised, said a spokeswoman for the Nevada Power Co. ”Operating on about an hour's notice of the pending shortage, the utility asked casino hotels to cut back on unnecessary power, and they responded quickly, said Nevada Power's Glenda McCartney. ”…Nevada Power said Monday's problems could return today, when the city swells with an anticipated 275,000 visitors arriving to celebrate the Fourth of July. ”…The major hotel-casinos--each of which consumes about the same amount of electricity as 10,000 homes--responded to the urgent request to conserve power in various ways. ”At Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton, for example, `nonessential’ machinery that pushes cooled air through the facilities was turned off, said Debbie Munch, spokeswoman for their parent company, Park Place Entertainment Corp. ”At casinos owned by the Mandalay Resort Group, office workers were told to turn off computers and nonessential lighting and to leave work promptly at 5 p.m., Vice President John Marz said. ”…As the casinos began cutting back on power, the utility was able to fully restore service by 4:55 p.m., McCartney said. ”…On Monday, they were unable to offer a detailed explanation for why Las Vegas was caught short. ”…Even if the problem worsens, the major casinos are expected to cope by using backup generators, casino officials said.” |