Monday, March 3, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
It will be at least two weeks before crews know what caused a boiler explosion at the Reid Gardner Power Station in Moapa, officials said today.
Crews had been restarting a coal-fired generating unit about 2 a.m. Sunday following minor repairs the day before when the blast occurred, causing significant damage to the boiler, officials said. It was put out of service during the repair job, Nevada Power Co. spokesman Tom Henley said.
Officials did not know how long the boiler would be out of service. In the meantime, Nevada Power will have to purchase more power on the market, he said.
"The whole generating unit itself is out of commission," Henley said. "The boiler helps to make the steam, which makes electricity."
No injuries were reported.
The power station is about 65 miles northeast of Las Vegas. A partnership between Nevada Power and California Department of Water Resources owns it.
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