NV Energy is seeking proposals to secure up to 100 megawatts of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-defined 'qualifying facility' resources in southern Nevada and 50 megawatts of such qualifying facilities in northern Nevada. Qualifying facilities are defined as generating resources that align with the provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978, which was passed to encourage the conservation of electric energy, to increase efficiency in the use of facilities and resources by electric utilities, and to provide equitable retail rates for electric consumers. Qualifying generating resources can be generating facilities of 80 megawatts or less that use renewable resources as the primary energy source or facilities that sequentially produce electricity and another form of useful thermal energy such as heat or steam. The two resulting long-term bids (one for northern Nevada and one for southern Nevada) are expected to be for 25 years. All qualifying facilities are required to be in Nevada.