Nevada ranks second in the United States for overall geothermal utilization and number one on a per capita basis. Nevada's geothermal power plants generate approximately 210 megawatts (MWe) of electricity (gross), enough for about 200,000 households. Modern development began during the 1980s; but, geothermal utilization can be traced from prehistoric applications by indigenous Native Americans to modern uses. In July 1984, the first electricity generated from a Nevada geothermal resource occurred at Wabuska, in Lyon County. The binary electric power plant yielded an output of 600 kW, and the electricity was purchased by Sierra Pacific Power Company