Document:

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                                                                     Exhibit 4.1

                              NEVADA POWER COMPANY

                              OFFICER'S CERTIFICATE

                                  April 4, 2002

     I, the undersigned officer of Nevada Power Company (the "Company"), do
hereby certify that I am an Authorized Officer of the Company as such term is
defined in the Indenture (as defined herein). I am delivering this certificate
pursuant to the authority granted in the Board Resolutions of the Company dated
November 6, 2001, and Sections 1.04, 2.01, 3.01, 4.01(a) and 4.02(b)(i) of the
General and Refunding Mortgage Indenture dated as of May 1, 2001, as heretofore
amended and supplemented to the date hereof (as heretofore amended and
supplemented, the "Indenture"), between the Company and The Bank of New York, as
Trustee (the "Trustee"). Terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture, unless the context
clearly requires otherwise. Based upon the foregoing, I hereby certify on behalf
of the Company as follows:

     1.   The terms and conditions of the Securities of the series described in
this Officer's Certificate are as follows (the lettered subdivisions set forth
in this Paragraph 1 corresponding to the lettered subdivisions of Section 3.01
of the Indenture):

     (a) The Securities of the third series to be issued under the Indenture
     shall be designated "General and Refunding Mortgage Bonds, Series C, due
     November 28, 2002" (the "Bonds").

     (b) The Bonds shall be authenticated and delivered in the aggregate
     principal amount of $200,000,000.

     (c) Not applicable.

     (d) The principal of all Bonds shall be payable by the Company in whole or
     in installments on such date or dates as the Company has any obligations
     under the Credit Agreement to repay any Loans (as defined in the Credit
     Agreement) to the Lenders (whether upon scheduled maturity, required
     prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), but not later than November
     28, 2002. The amount of principal of the Bonds payable by the Company on
     any such date shall equal the aggregate principal amount of the Loans due
     and payable on such date pursuant to the Credit Agreement (but, in no
     event, shall exceed the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds). The
     obligation of the Company to make any payment of the principal on the Bonds
     shall be fully or partially, as the case may be, deemed to have been paid
     or otherwise satisfied and discharged to the extent that the Company has
     paid the principal then due and payable on the Loans made pursuant to the
     Credit Agreement, but any such payment shall not reduce the principal
     amount of the Bonds unless the aggregate amount of the Lenders' Commitments
     (as defined in the Credit Agreement) is irrevocably reduced concurrently
     with such payment.

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     If a Default (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in the payment of
     principal of any Loans shall occur under Section 7.01 of the Credit
     Agreement, it shall be deemed to be a default, for the purposes of Section
     10.01 of the Indenture, in payment of an amount of principal of the Bonds
     equal to the amount of such unpaid principal of the Loans (but, in no
     event, in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds).

     (e) The Bonds shall bear interest from the time hereinafter provided at
     such rate per annum as shall cause the amount of interest payable on each
     Interest Payment Date (as hereinafter defined) on the Bonds to equal the
     amount of interest and fees payable on such Interest Payment Date under the
     Credit Agreement. Such interest on the Bonds shall be payable on the same
     dates as interest and/or fees are payable from time to time pursuant to the
     Credit Agreement (each such date herein called an "Interest Payment Date"),
     until the maturity of the Bonds, or, in the case the Administrative Agent
     shall demand redemption of the Bonds, until the redemption date, or, in the
     case of any default by the Company in the payment of the principal due on
     the Bonds, until the Company's obligation with respect to the payment of
     such principal shall be discharged as provided in the Indenture. The amount
     of interest and fees payable from time to time under the Credit Agreement,
     the basis on which such interest and fees are computed and the dates on
     which such interest and fees are payable are set forth in the Credit
     Agreement. Each Bond shall bear interest from the later of the date of
     initial authentication of such Bond or the most recent Interest Payment
     Date to which interest has been paid. The obligation of the Company to make
     any payment of interest on the Bonds shall be fully or partially, as the
     case may be, deemed to have been paid or otherwise satisfied and discharged
     to the extent that the Company has paid the interest on the Loans and fees
     then due and payable pursuant to the Credit Agreement. If a Default (as
     defined in the Credit Agreement) in the payment of interest or fees shall
     occur under Section 7.01 of the Credit Agreement, it shall be deemed to be
     a default, for purposes of Section 10.01 of the Indenture, in the payment
     of an amount of interest on the Bonds equal to the amount of such unpaid
     interest on the Loans and such fees.

     (f) The Corporate Trust Office of The Bank of New York in New York, New
     York shall be the place at which (i) the principal of and interest on the
     Bonds shall be payable, (ii) registration of transfer of the Bonds may be
     effected, (iii) exchanges of the Bonds may be effected and (iv) notices and
     demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Bonds and the Indenture
     may be served; and The Bank of New York shall be the Security Registrar for
     the Bonds; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company reserves the right to
     change, by one or more Officer's Certificates, with the consent of the
     Administrative Agent, any such place or the Security Registrar; and
     provided, further, that the Company reserves the right to designate, by one
     or more Officer's Certificates, its principal office in Las Vegas, Nevada
     as any such place or itself as the Security Registrar; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
     that there shall be only a single Security Registrar for the Bonds. The
     principal of the Bonds shall be payable without the presentment or
     surrender thereof.

     (g) Not applicable.

     (h) Not applicable.

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     (i) The Bonds are issuable only in denominations of $200,000,000.

     (j) Not applicable.

     (k) Not applicable.

     (l) Not applicable.

     (m) See subsection (d) above.

     (n) Not applicable.

     (o) Not applicable.

     (p) Not applicable.

     (q) The Bonds shall be evidenced by a single registered Bond in the
     principal amount and denomination of Two Hundred Million Dollars
     ($200,000,000). The Bonds shall be dated April 4, 2002, shall mature no
     later than November 28, 2002, unless sooner paid, and shall bear interest
     at the rate specified in subsection (e) above. The Bonds may be executed by
     the Company and delivered to the Trustee for authentication and delivery.
     The principal of and interest on the Bonds shall be payable at the
     Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee in New York, New York.

          The single Bond shall be identified by the number C-1 and shall upon
     issuance be delivered by the Company to, and registered in the name of, the
     Administrative Agent, on behalf of itself and the Lenders, and shall be
     transferable only as required to effect an assignment thereof to a
     successor or an assign of the Administrative Agent under the Credit
     Agreement. The Bonds are to be issued to the Administrative Agent as
     security for the payment by the Company of its Obligations (as defined in
     the Credit Agreement). The single Bond shall be held by the Administrative
     Agent subject to the terms of the Bond Delivery Agreement, dated as of
     April 4, 2002, between the Company and the Administrative Agent.

          Bonds issued upon transfer shall be numbered consecutively from C-2
     upwards and issued in the same $200,000,000 denomination but, to the extent
     that the aggregate of the Lenders Commitments under the Credit Agreement
     shall have theretofore been reduced, the registered holder thereof shall
     duly note on the Bonds like reduction in the amount of principal in the
     Schedule of Prepayments to such Bond and upon any transfer of said Bond,
     such Schedule of Prepayments shall transfer to the subsequently issued
     Bond.

          See also subsection (s) below.

     (r) Not applicable.

     (s) The holder of the Bond by acceptance of the Bond agrees to restrictions
     on transfer and to waivers of certain rights of exchange as set forth
     herein. In addition, the

                                       3

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     Bond has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Bond
     may not be transferred without compliance with applicable securities laws.
     The Bond is not transferable except to a successor to the Administrative
     Agent under the Credit Agreement.

     (t) For purposes of the Bonds, "Business Day" shall mean any day that is
     not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in Los
     Angeles, California or New York, New York are authorized or required by law
     to remain closed.

     (u) The Trustee may conclusively presume that the obligation of the Company
     to pay the principal of and interest on the Bond shall have been fully
     satisfied and discharged unless and until it shall have received a written
     notice from the Administrative Agent, signed by an Authorized Officer of
     the Administrative Agent and attested by the Secretary or an Assistant
     Secretary of the Administrative Agent, stating that the payment of
     principal of or interest on the Bond has not been fully paid when due and
     specifying the amount of funds required to make such payment.

          The Bonds shall have such other terms and provisions as are provided
     in the form thereof attached hereto as EXHIBIT A, and shall be issued in
     substantially such form.

     2.   The undersigned has read all of the covenants and conditions contained
in the Indenture, and the definitions in the Indenture relating thereto,
relating to the issuance of the Bonds and in respect of compliance with which
this certificate is made.

          The statements contained in this certificate are based upon the
familiarity of the undersigned with the Indenture, the documents accompanying
this certificate, and upon discussions by the undersigned with officers and
employees of the Company familiar with the matters set forth herein.

          In the opinion of the undersigned, he has made such examination or
investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to
whether or not such covenants and conditions have been complied with.

          In the opinion of the undersigned, such conditions and covenants have
been complied with.

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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Officer's Certificate
as of the date first written above.

                             By:
                                -----------------------------------------------
                                Name:  Richard K. Atkinson
                                Title: Treasurer and Investor Relations Officer

Acknowledged and Received on
April __, 2002

THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee

By:
          -------------------------------------------
Name:
          -------------------------------------------
Title:
          -------------------------------------------

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                                    EXHIBIT A

                                  FORM OF BONDS

                                       6<PAGE>

                                                                     Exhibit 4.2

     NOTE: THE HOLDER OF THIS BOND BY ACCEPTANCE HEREOF AGREES TO RESTRICTIONS
ON TRANSFER, TO WAIVERS OF CERTAIN RIGHTS OF EXCHANGE, AND TO INDEMNIFICATION
PROVISIONS AS SET FORTH BELOW. IN ADDITION, THE BOND REPRESENTED BY THIS
CERTIFICATE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND SUCH
BOND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS.

     THIS BOND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT TO A SUCCESSOR OR ASSIGN OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT UNDER THE CREDIT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN AMONG THE
COMPANY AND THE SEVERAL PARTIES THERETO.

                              NEVADA POWER COMPANY
      General and Refunding Mortgage Bonds, Series C, due November 28, 2002

<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>                      <C>
Original Interest Accrual Date:     April 4, 2002            Redeemable by Company:     Yes     No  X
                                                                                            ---    ---
Stated Maturity:                    November 28, 2002        Redemption Date:  N/A
Interest Rate:                      See below                Redemption Price: N/A
Interest Payment Dates:             See below
Regular Record Dates:               N/A
</TABLE>

                    This Security is not a Discount Security
              within the meaning of the within-mentioned Indenture.

                      ------------------------------------

Principal Amount
$200,000,000                                                          No. C-1

     NEVADA POWER COMPANY, a corporation duly organized and existing under the
laws of the State of Nevada (herein called the "Company," which term includes
any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to below), for value
received, hereby promises to pay to UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA, N.A., as
Administrative Agent (the "Administrative Agent"), or its registered assigns, on
behalf of itself and the Lenders (as defined below), the principal sum of TWO
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, or such lesser principal amount as shall be equal to
the aggregate principal amount of Loans (as defined in the Credit Agreement
defined below) outstanding from time to time under the Credit Agreement (as
defined below), in whole or in installments on such date or dates as the Company
has any obligations under the Credit Agreement to repay any Loans to the Lenders
(whether upon scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or
otherwise), but not later than the Stated Maturity specified above. The amount
of principal of this Bond payable by the Company on any such date shall equal
the aggregate principal amount of the Loans due and payable on such date
pursuant to the Credit Agreement (but, in no event, shall exceed the principal
amount of this Bond). The obligation of the Company to make any payment of the
principal on this Bond shall be fully or partially, as the case may be, deemed
to have been paid or otherwise satisfied and discharged to the extent that the
Company has paid the principal then due and payable on the Loans made pursuant
to the Credit Agreement, but any

<PAGE>

such payment shall not reduce the principal amount of this Bond unless the
aggregate amount of the Lenders' Commitments (as defined in the Credit
Agreement) is irrevocably reduced concurrently with such payment.

     Interest shall be payable on this Bond on each Interest Payment Date (as
hereinafter defined) at such rate per annum as shall cause the amount of
interest payable on such Interest Payment Date on this Bond to equal the amount
of interest and fees payable on such Interest Payment Date under the Credit
Agreement. Such interest shall be payable on the same dates as interest and/or
fees are payable from time to time pursuant to the Credit Agreement (each such
date herein called an "Interest Payment Date"), until the maturity of this Bond,
or, if the Administrative Agent shall demand redemption of this Bond, until the
redemption date, or, if the Company shall default in the payment of the
principal due on this Bond, until the Company's obligation with respect to the
payment of such principal shall be discharged as provided in the Indenture. The
amount of interest and fees payable from time to time under the Credit
Agreement, the basis on which such interest and fees are computed and the dates
on which such interest and fees are payable are set forth in the Credit
Agreement. This Bond shall bear interest (a) from the Interest Payment Date next
preceding the date of this Bond to which interest has been paid, or (b) if the
date of this Bond is an Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid,
then from such date, or (c) if no interest has been paid on this Bond, then from
the date of initial authentication of this Bond. The obligation of the Company
to make any payment of interest on this Bond shall be fully or partially, as the
case may be, deemed to have been paid or otherwise satisfied and discharged to
the extent that the Company has paid the interest on the Loans and fees then due
and payable pursuant to the Credit Agreement.

     This Bond is issued to the Administrative Agent by the Company pursuant to
the Company's obligations under the Credit Agreement, dated as of November 30,
2001 (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to
time, the "Credit Agreement"), among the Company, the Administrative Agent,
Union Bank of California, N.A., as Sole Bookrunner, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as
Syndication Agent, Bank One, N.A., BNP Paribas and Mellon Bank, N.A., as
Co-Documentation Agents, and the Lenders party thereto from time to time (the
"Lenders"). This Bond shall be held by the Administrative Agent subject to the
terms of the Bond Delivery Agreement, dated as of April 4, 2002, between the
Company and the Administrative Agent. Any capitalized terms used herein and not
defined herein shall have the meanings specified in the Indenture (as defined
below), unless otherwise noted.

     If a Default (as defined in the Credit Agreement) shall have occurred under
Section 7.01 of the Credit Agreement by reason of a failure by the Company to
make a payment of principal of any Loans when the same shall be due and payable
pursuant to the Credit Agreement, it shall be deemed to be a default, for
purposes of Section 10.01 of the Indenture, in payment of an amount of principal
of this Bond equal to the amount of such unpaid principal of the Loans (but, in
no event, in excess of the principal amount of this Bond). If a Default (as
defined in the Credit Agreement) shall have occurred under Section 7.01 of the
Credit Agreement by reason of a failure by the Company to make a payment of
interest or fees when the same shall be due and payable pursuant to the Credit
Agreement, it shall be deemed to be a default, for purposes of Section 10.01 of
the Indenture, in the payment of an amount of interest on this Bond equal to the
amount of such unpaid interest on the Loans and fees. The Administrative Agent
shall surrender this Bond to the Trustee when all of the principal of and
interest on the Loans made pursuant to the Credit Agreement shall have been duly
paid, all fees payable pursuant to the Credit Agreement shall have been duly
paid, and the Credit Agreement shall have been terminated.

     Payments of the principal of and interest on this Bond shall be made at the
Corporate Trust Office of The Bank of New York located at 101 Barclay Street,
New York, New York 10286 or at such other office or agency as may be designated
for such purpose by the Company from time to time. Payment of the principal of
and interest on this Bond, as aforesaid, shall be made in such coin or currency
of the

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<PAGE>

United States of America as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the
payment of public and private debts.

     This Bond is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company
(herein called the "Securities"), issued and issuable in one or more series
under and equally secured by a General and Refunding Mortgage Indenture, dated
as of May 1, 2001 (such Indenture as originally executed and delivered and as
supplemented or amended from time to time thereafter, together with any
constituent instruments establishing the terms of particular Securities, being
herein called the "Indenture"), between the Company and The Bank of New York, as
trustee (herein called the "Trustee," which term includes any successor trustee
under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto
reference is hereby made for a description of the property mortgaged, pledged
and held in trust, the nature and extent of the security and the respective
rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities of the Company, the Trustee
and the Holders of the Securities thereunder and of the terms and conditions
upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered and
secured. The acceptance of this Bond shall be deemed to constitute the consent
and agreement by the Holder hereof to all of the terms and provisions of the
Indenture. This Bond is one of the series designated above.

     The Bonds of this series will not be entitled to the benefit of any sinking
fund or voluntary redemption provisions.

     If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be
continuing, the principal of this Bond may be declared due and payable in the
manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

     The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the
Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for the purpose of
adding any provisions to, or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the
provisions of, the Indenture with the consent of the Holders of not less than a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series then
Outstanding under the Indenture, considered as one class; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that if there shall be Securities of more than one series Outstanding under the
Indenture and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the
rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such
series, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series so directly
affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and PROVIDED, FURTHER,
that if the Securities of any series shall have been issued in more than one
Tranche and if the proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the
rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such
Tranches, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all Tranches so directly
affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and PROVIDED, FURTHER,
that the Indenture permits the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental
indentures for limited purposes without the consent of any Holders of
Securities. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, on behalf of
the Holders of all Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain
provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and
their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Bond shall
be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this
Bond and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in
exchange therefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or
waiver is made upon this Bond.

     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set
forth, the transfer of this Bond is registrable in the Security Register, upon
surrender of this Bond for registration of transfer at the Corporate Trust
Office of The Bank of New York in New York, New York or such other office or
agency as may be designated by the Company from time to time, duly endorsed by,
or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by,

                                       3

<PAGE>

the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one
or more new Bonds of this series of authorized denominations and of like tenor
and aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or
transferees.

     This Bond has been issued by the Company to the Administrative Agent to (i)
provide for the payment of the Company's obligations to make payments to any
person under the Credit Agreement and (ii) provide to such persons the benefits
of the security provided for this Bond pursuant to the Indenture.

     The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may
deem and treat the person in whose name this Bond shall be registered upon the
Security Register for the Bonds of this series as the absolute owner of such
Bond for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of
and interest on this Bond and for all other purposes, whether or not this Bond
be overdue, and neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be affected by any
notice to the contrary; and all such payments so made to such registered owner
or upon his order shall be valid and effectual to satisfy and discharge the
liability upon this Bond to the extent of the sum or sums paid.

     The Trustee may conclusively presume that the obligation of the Company to
pay the principal of and interest on this Bond shall have been fully satisfied
and discharged unless and until it shall have received a written notice from the
Administrative Agent, signed by an authorized officer of the Administrative
Agent and attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Administrative Agent, stating that the payment of principal of or interest on
this Bond has not been fully paid when due and specifying the amount of funds
required to make such payment.

     Before any transfer of this Bond by the registered holder or his or its
legal representative will be recognized or given effect by the Company or the
Trustee, the registered holder shall note the amounts of all reductions in the
Lenders' Commitments under the Credit Agreement, and shall notify the Company
and the Trustee of the name and address of the transferee and shall afford the
Company and the Trustee the opportunity of verifying the notation as to such
reductions. By acceptance hereof the holder of this Bond and each transferee
shall be deemed to have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and
the Trustee against all losses, claims, damages or liability arising out of any
failure on part of the holder or of any such transferee to comply with the
requirements of the preceding sentence.

     No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained
in the Indenture or in any indenture supplemental thereto, or in any Bond or
coupon thereby secured, or because of any indebtedness thereby secured, shall be
had against any incorporator, or against any past, present or future
stockholder, officer or director, as such, of the Company or any successor
corporation, either directly or through the Company or of any successor
corporation under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the
enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or
otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that the Indenture, any
indenture supplemental thereto and the obligations thereby secured, are solely
corporate obligations, and that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach
to, or be incurred by, such incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors,
as such, of the Company or of any successor corporation, or any of them, because
of the incurring of the indebtedness thereby authorized, or under or by reason
of any of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Indenture or
in any indenture supplemental thereto or in any of the Bonds or coupons thereby
secured, or implied therefrom.

     This Bond shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of
the State of New York.

                                       4

<PAGE>

     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Trustee or an Authenticating Agent by manual signature, this Bond shall not be
entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any
purpose.

            [The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.]

                                       5

<PAGE>

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed.

                           NEVADA POWER COMPANY

                           By:
                               -----------------------------------------------
                               Name:  Richard K. Atkinson
                               Title: Treasurer and Investor Relations Officer

                          CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

     This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to
in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:  April __, 2002

                           THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE

                           By:
                               -----------------------------------------------
                               Authorized Signatory

                                       6

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