8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



     Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported)   November 14, 2003


Commission      Registrant, State of Incorporation, Address     I.R.S. Employer
File Number          of Principal Executive Offices and              Number
                              Telephone Number

  1-8788        SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES                           88-0198358
                P.O. Box 10100 (6100 Neil Road)
                Reno, Nevada 895-0400 (89511)
                (775) 834-4011

  1-4698        NEVADA POWER COMPANY                               88-0045330
                6226 West Sahara Avenue

                Las Vegas, Nevada 89146
                (702) 367-5000



                                      None
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)

ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

      On November 14, 2003, Nevada Power Company (NPC), a subsidiary of Sierra
Pacific Resources (NYSE: SRP), today made required filings with the Public
Utilities Commission of Nevada seeking to recover costs for fuel and purchased
power as well as conservation and energy efficiency programs. In order to
mitigate the financial impact on customers, NPC is seeking to spread collection
of its new deferred energy balance over three years, with less to be collected
in the first year. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1
hereto

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

      (a) Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired

          Not required

      (b) Pro forma financial information

          Not required

      (c) Exhibits

          99.1 Press Release issued November 14, 2003

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrants have each duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                           SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES
                                           ------------------------
                                           (Registrant)



Date: November 17, 2003                    By: /s/ John E. Brown
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               John E. Brown
                                               Vice President and Controller

                                           NEVADA POWER COMPANY
                                           --------------------
                                           (Registrant)



Date: November 17, 2003                    By: /s/ John E. Brown
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               John E. Brown
                                               Vice President and Controller

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1 - Press Release issued November 14, 2003

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1


NEVADA POWER FILES FOR DEFERRED RATE RECOVERY
Friday November 14, 7:21 pm ET

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevada Power Company, a subsidiary of Sierra
Pacific Resources (NYSE: SRP - News), today made required filings with the
Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) seeking to recover costs for fuel
and purchased power as well as conservation and energy efficiency programs. In
order to mitigate the financial impact on customers, the company is seeking to
spread collection of its new deferred energy balance over three years, with less
to be collected in the first year.

If approved, the deferred energy and conservation cost recovery filings made
today will result in an increase of 6.29 percent, or $6.55 per month, effective
April 1, 2004, for the typical residential customer using 1200 kWh per month.

    These filings seek to:

    * Recover over three years fuel and purchased power costs incurred from
      October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003 ($14 million of $93 million in
      the first year, a less than 1 percent increase in total rates);

    * Set a new going-forward rate for projected fuel and purchased power costs
      through a change to the Base Tariff Energy Rate (about a 4.9 percent
      increase in total rates);

    * Recover costs associated with conservation and energy efficiency programs
      ($11 million, also a less than 1 percent increase in total rates).

"Although deferred energy filings seek a dollar-for-dollar pass-through of
costs, we understand that any increase in rates is difficult for our customers
and we're doing everything possible to help mitigate that while maintaining the
financial viability of the company by producing necessary cash flow," said Pat
Shalmy, president of Nevada Power Company. "Natural gas prices and energy prices
are still high and continue to be extremely volatile -- especially natural gas,"
Shalmy added. "We are trying to take some of the volatility out of our rates so
our customers know what to expect."

To mitigate the initial impact on ratepayers, the company is proposing to
collect in the first year only 15 percent of the total of the most recent
deferred energy balance. Further, Nevada Power is proposing to reduce the
overall increase by requesting early implementation of the new Base Tariff
Energy Rate, which is based on a forecast of future energy prices.

"By requesting to implement these changes in April 2004, not only is the overall
increase lessened, it will make the changes easier for our customers to
understand since our proposed general rate case change would go into effect at
the same time," said Shalmy. In

October, the company filed for a general rate case, proposing an overall 3.4
percent increase effective in April 2004. Pending PUCN approvals, the filings
made today, combined with the general rate case, would result in an approximate
9.75 percent increase, or $10.16 per month, for the typical residential customer
in April 2004.

The company said that the deferred energy balance accrued this year can
principally be attributed to more usage because of the extremely hot weather as
well as the higher natural gas prices experienced throughout the United States.
The company's last deferred energy filing resulted in a 6 percent decrease in
customer rates, which went into effect in May of this year.

Headquartered in Nevada, Sierra Pacific Resources is a holding company whose
principal subsidiaries are Nevada Power Company, the electric utility for most
of southern Nevada, and Sierra Pacific Power Company, the electric utility for
most of northern Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area of California. Sierra Pacific
Power Company also distributes natural gas in the Reno-Sparks area of northern
Nevada. Other subsidiaries include the Tuscarora Gas Pipeline Company, which
owns 50 percent interest in an interstate natural gas transmission partnership
and several unregulated energy services companies.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the future
performance of Sierra Pacific Resources' electric utility, Nevada Power Company,
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Nevada
Power Company's liquidity and financial condition would be significantly
adversely affected by a requirement to pay or provide additional cash collateral
for the judgment in favor of Enron and by any future ratings downgrades by S&P
or Moody's. These risks and uncertainties also include, but are not limited to,
unfavorable rulings in Nevada Power Company's pending and future rate cases, its
ability to access the capital markets to refinance debt and for general
corporate purposes, its ability to purchase sufficient power to meet its power
demands, whether power suppliers, in addition to Enron, which terminated power
supply contracts in 2002 will be successful in pursuing claims against Nevada
Power Company for liquidated damages under their terminated power contracts, and
weather conditions during the winter months of 2003 and beyond. Additional
cautionary statements regarding other risk factors that could have an effect on
the future performance of Sierra Pacific Resources and its two utility
subsidiaries, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, are
contained in their Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September
30, 2003, filed with the SEC. The Companies undertake no obligation to release
publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that
may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.