EXHIBIT 31.1

       QUARTERLY CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER REQUIRED BY
                 SECTION 302(A) OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Walter M. Higgins III, certify that:

      1.    I have reviewed the combined quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Sierra
            Pacific Resources, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power
            Company;

      2.    Based on my knowledge, the combined quarterly report does not
            contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
            material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
            circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
            with respect to the period covered by the combined quarterly report;

      3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
            information included in the combined quarterly report, fairly
            present in all material respects the financial condition, results of
            operations and cash flows of the registrants as of, and for, the
            periods presented in the combined quarterly report;

      4.    The chief financial officer and I are responsible for establishing
            and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
            Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrants and
            we have:

            (a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the registrants, including their consolidated subsidiaries,
                  is made known to us by others within those entities,
                  particularly during the period in which the combined quarterly
                  report is being prepared;

            (b)   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants' disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in the combined
                  quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of
                  the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the
                  period covered by the combined quarterly report based on such
                  evaluation; and

            (c)   Disclosed in the combined quarterly report any change in the
                  registrants' internal control over financial reporting that
                  occurred during the registrants' most recent fiscal quarter
                  that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
                  materially affect, the registrants' internal control over
                  financial reporting; and

      5.    The chief financial officer and I have disclosed, based on our most
            recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
            the registrants' auditors and the audit committee of registrants'
            board of directors:

            (a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal controls over financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  registrants' ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information; and

            (b)   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrants' internal control over financial reporting.

August 9, 2004

                                              /s/ Walter M. Higgins, III
                                              --------------------------
                                              Walter M. Higgins III
                                              Chief Executive Officer