Omaha Public Power District, or OPPD, is a public

electric utility An electric utility is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major pr ...

in the state of

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

. It is a publicly owned electric utility in the United States, serving more than 855,000 people in Omaha and 13 surrounding counties in southeast Nebraska. OPPD was formed in 1946 as a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska, taking over the operations of Nebraska Power Company (founded in 1917). A publicly elected eight-member Board of Directors sets rates and policies. OPPD is headquartered in Omaha. In the Summer of 2011, OPPD had its Nuclear Generating Station in Fort Calhoun shut down due to Missouri River flooding. The station was shut down for an extended period of time by Federal NRC Regulators due to serious issues at the plant. The plant started back up in December 2013.

Generating facilities

OPPD formerly operated the

Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station is a shut-down nuclear power plant located on between Fort Calhoun, and Blair, Nebraska adjacent to the Missouri River between mile markers 645.6 and 646.0. The utility has an easement for another ...

near Fort Calhoun. After 42 years of operation (interrupted by flooding from 2011 to 2013), the plant was shut down on October 25, 2016 and is in the process of being decommissioned. OPPD operates other generating stations in

North Omaha North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...

Nebraska City Nebraska City is a city in Nebraska, and the county seat of, Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,289. The Nebraska State Legislature has credited Nebraska City as being the oldest incorporated ...

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

, Elkhorn and in Cass County; coal, natural gas, oil, wind turbines, solar, and

landfill gas Landfill gas is a mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill as they decompose organic waste, including for example, food waste and paper waste. Landfill gas is approximately forty to sixty percent methane ...

are used to generate electricity at their power plants.

Awards

In 2012 OPPD was awarded its 12th

J.D. Power and Associates J.D. Power is an American consumer research, data, and analytics firm based in Troy, Michigan. The company was founded in 1968 by James David Power III. It conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for the au ...

award. OPPD was named "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Midsize Utilities in the Midwest" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

Carbon emissions, alternative energy, and energy mix

In December 2019, the board of the Omaha Public Power District voted to commit to

net-zero emissions Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "p ...

by 2050. A 400- to 600-megawatt solar array is planned, as is the closing of three gas fired power units, and conversion of two coal-burning units to natural gas.

References

External links

Omaha Public Power District
{{authority control Government agencies established in 1946 Public Power District Nuclear power companies of the United States Power districts in Nebraska Infrastructure in Omaha, Nebraska Public utilities of the United States 1946 establishments in Nebraska