News Releases

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March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

Nation’s Best Lineworkers Head to Omaha

When a storm hits and power lines go down, utility lineworkers head into the weather to restore service. On Saturday, March 27, around 500 of the best utility lineworkers in the nation will compete in Omaha to see who is the best of the best. Area residents will have the chance to witness firsthand what it takes to answer such challenges and be a first class lineworker.

The Omaha Public Power District is hosting the tenth annual Public Power Lineworkers’ Rodeo, which is sponsored by the American Public Power Association. Participants will include journeyman and apprentice lineworkers. They will go head-to-head as they perform line work-related activities such as pole-top rescues, installing lighting arrestors and hooking up transformers, all while atop utility poles some 30 feet above ground. In addition to competing for professional recognition against a thrilling backdrop, the rodeo allows lineworkers to practice essential skills in a safe environment and to learn from other professionals. It also provides them an opportunity to attend training courses.

The rodeo is scheduled be held at Levi Carter Park, just west of Eppley Airfield from 7:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Actual competition is expected to begin around 8 a.m. The public is invited to watch the rodeo free of charge. Food will be available and there will be activities for children.

The Public Power Lineworkers’ Rodeo is considered the foremost showcase of power public lineworker skill and knowledge. The rodeo is being held in Omaha in conjunction with the 54th Annual APPA Engineering and Operations Technical Conference also in Omaha. The national conference will run from March 28 - 31 at the Hilton Hotel and focus on the engineering and operational needs of the public power industry.

Besides the 500 competitors from public utilities across the nation, another 250 public power experts will take part in APPA’s Engineering and Operations Technical Conference in downtown Omaha.

More information on this year’s Lineworkers’ Rodeo is available at the OPPD website at www.oppd.com

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OPPD Board Previews New Look of Bills

March 11, 2010

The Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors got a preview of a new look for OPPD’s bills at their meeting today. OPPD is revising the bill to update its look and make it easier for customers to use. The design changes come about after getting opinions from customers. As a result, the important information they look for in a bill will be emphasized.

The final design is not yet firm, but one change looks to be a larger chart for customers to compare their electric usage to the same month in the previous year. The chart will be moved to a more visible location in the center of the bill.

One main change customers will see is that the portion of the bill to send in with payment will come from the bottom of the new design, instead of the top, as is currently the case. Deciding what part of a bill to send in won’t affect a growing number of customers who are signing up to save paper and receive their bills electronically. Currently, around 10,000 residential customers are receiving their bills electronically and 65,000 are paying online, saving postage and paper. Customers can request their bills be available electronically through oppd.com, the utility’s web site.

The new bill format should start appearing in late spring or early summer.

In other action today, the Board reviewed and approved the District’s 2009 Health Plan and Annual Report.

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Nation's Best Lineworkers Compete in Omaha

March 5, 2010

Midland area residents have the chance to see what is considered the foremost showcase of utility lineworker skill and knowledge as the Public Power Lineworkers’ Rodeo comes to Omaha Saturday, March 27, from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Spectators will witness firsthand just what it takes to be a first class lineworker and some of the many challenges faced by those who restore power to customers when storms ravage power lines. That includes activities such as pole top rescues, installing lighting arrestors and hooking up transformers while working up to 30 feet above ground.

The Omaha Public Power District is serving as host and inviting the public to attend the Tenth Annual Public Power Lineworkers’ Rodeo to be held in Omaha on at Levi Carter Park just west of Eppley Airfield. This is the first time the national event has been held in Omaha.

There is no charge to the public. Food and activities for children will be available.

Sponsored by the American Public Power Association, this year’s Public Power Lineworkers’ Rodeo is expected to attract 250 to 300 competitors from public utilities across the nation. For lineworkers, in addition to competing for professional recognition, the rodeo will allow them to practice essential skills in a safe environment, to learn from other professionals and provide an opportunity to attend training courses.

More information on the rodeo is available on the OPPD website at www.oppd.com.

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OPPD to Receive ENERGY STAR Recognition

March 5, 2010

The Omaha Public Power District has been tapped to receive a special award during the national ENERGY STAR awards ceremony on Thursday, March 18, 2010, in Washington DC. The ceremony is held to honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. OPPD will receive special recognition for its efforts to promote the ENERGY STAR program to its commercial customers.

Those promotional efforts began with OPPD being among those taking the ENERGY STAR Challenge. The ENERGY STAR Challenge seeks to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by at least 10 percent.

Last year, OPPD undertook a number of efforts to further promote the Commercial ENERGY STAR Challenge. It:

• Hosted quarterly educational roundtables for dozens of larger customers who have committed to the challenge.
• Collaborated with the Building Owners and Managers Association of Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Omaha to infuse training related to the challenge and energy efficiency into a real estate class offered at UNO.
• Worked with Metropolitan Community College in Omaha and others to develop an ENERGY STAR-based course to be offered at MCC next semester.

This could be just the beginning for OPPD, which is now “Leader” status through the ENERGY STAR Partner program. It intends to become the first utility the first utility in the nation to achieve this status.

OPPD continues to actively promote ENERGY STAR via its website, personal contacts, targeted emails and at trade shows. Those efforts have generated excellent results. Over the past year the number of ENERGY STAR buildings in the state has nearly doubled. During the same period 19 organizations have taken the ENERGY STAR Challenge.

The ENERGY STAR Award ceremony will take place Thursday evening, March 18 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in the nation’s capitol.

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OPPD, MCC, and EPA Partner to Bring First of Its Kind Energy Efficiency Class to Omaha

Businesses looking to save on their energy budget have a new opportunity in Omaha. The Omaha Public Power District has partnered with Metropolitan Community College and EPA’s ENERGY STAR program to offer a unique course to individuals hoping to learn more about boosting energy efficiency for commercial buildings. The class offered for college credit, and the first of its kind, will offer students hands-on learning opportunities such as measuring the energy use of actual buildings and identifying places to save energy. The class will begin March 11 at Metropolitan Community College.

Entitled “Energy Star for Commercial Buildings,” this unique course aims to introduce students to the benefits of and barriers to energy efficiency by taking an in-depth look into the ENERGY STAR program. Topics will include, but are not limited to, trends in commercial building energy efficiency, best energy efficiency practices, engaging employees in energy conservation, and tracking energy savings and greenhouse reductions over time. Additional topics include transforming the market with ENERGY STAR and ENERGY STAR guidelines for Energy Management.

The class will be held in the evenings on Thursdays from March 11 to May 20. It is open to anyone who signs up and pays for the course by the deadline date of March 8. To register, individuals can call Registration at Metropolitan Community College at 457-2451 and ask to register for INCT 2900 8A.

Those interested can also register online for this ENERGY STAR course by going to www.mccneb.edu/schedule/classselect.asp?sterm=09/SP and searching for Industrial and Commercial Trades (INCT) course 2900 8A.

Those with particular questions regarding this class are asked to contact:

Daniel J. Lawse
Coordinator of Sustainable Practices
402-738-4564
Metropolitan Community College (MCC)
P.O. Box 3777
Omaha, NE 68103

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OPPD Names Hansen Newest Vice President

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the appointment of Jon T. Hansen as Vice President of Energy Production and Marketing. In his new position, Mr. Hansen will have overall responsibility for the district’s fossil generation, fuels and marketing activities. Among the areas he will oversee are Production Operations, Production Engineering and Technical Support, Projects and Construction, Energy Marketing and Trading and Fuels.

Mr. Hansen has been with OPPD since 1983. During that time he has served in several managerial and supervisory positions and has performed engineering duties at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station in addition to OPPD’s fossil stations. He began his career with OPPD as an engineer. In April 1995, he was named Supervisor of Peaking Plant Operations and Supervisor of North Omaha Station Operations in October of 1996. Six years later, in October 2002, he was appointed Manager of North Omaha Station. In June 2006, he was appointed Division Manager of Production Operations, a position he held until his promotion to Vice President.

Mr. Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an Executive Master’s degree of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He and his wife, Beth, have four children.

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At OPPD, Sustainability More Than Buzzword

The Omaha Public Power District has documented the results of its commitment to the environment and renewable energy. In a report to the OPPD Board of Directors this week, President and CEO Gary Gates outlined some of the changes the utility has made in order “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

Advancements came in areas of renewable energy, environmental stewardship and energy efficiency.

In renewable energy, OPPD now has contracts that will take it more than one third of the way toward its goal of having ten percent of its total generation coming from renewable sources by 2020. That includes new contracts signed to purchase wind-driven energy from generating sites near Humboldt, Bloomfield and Petersburg, Nebraska. The utility also is incorporating wind and solar energy in the design of its newest service center, now under construction near Omaha’s Eppley Airfield.

In environmental stewardship, OPPD increased its recycling efforts, increasing its paper recycling alone by almost 60 percent in 2009 from the year earlier. The utility is also looking to save paper by encouraging its customers to convert to paperless billing and receive their bills through email (http://ow.ly/13p5V).

Energy efficiency efforts include helping customers save energy through programs such as the one that helps pay to audit irrigation pump conversions from costly diesel fuel to electricity or for making efficiency changes to grain-drying equipment (http://www.oppd.com/AboutUs/22_005525).

The complete 2009 Sustainability Report can be found online at (http://www.oppd.com/prodconsump10g/groups/web/documents/webcontent/22_005750.pdf).

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New Equipment to Mean Increased Safety and Reliability for OPPD

Reliability issues led the Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors today to approve replacing equipment parts for some of the motors used in of one of North Omaha Generating Station’s five units.

The parts are used in the unit’s induced draft fans, which control and maintain air flow and gases within the unit. In recent years, that unit experienced several motor failures in those fans.

OPPD will replace the magnetic drives currently in use with variable frequency drives. The newer technology is expected to help maintain the unit’s reliability, improve safety for plant personnel, decrease maintenance costs and reduce auxiliary power usage.

The board authorized management to award a contract to Malloy Electric Industrial Services of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, in the amount of $593,478 for two of the new drives. The proposal was one of nine received from various vendors who responded to a request for proposals in December. The new equipment will be installed during the maintenance outage for North Omaha Station Unit 5 currently scheduled for January 2011.

The Board also heard a report on OPPD’s sustainability efforts, including impacts in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

In other action, the board approved:

• 2010 Standing Committee assignments for the Board of Directors.
• appointment of a new Corporate Officer.

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Energy Savings Achieved in OPPD Project

Commercial customers of the Omaha Public Power District will be saving more than 7 million kilowatt-hours and about $400,000 each year, thanks to a program the utility rolled out last February. The project gives monetary incentives to commercial and industrial customers to revamp their lighting with more energy-efficient systems.

As of December 31, 2009, the utility had approved incentive payments for lighting projects that resulted in a reduction of electrical demand of more than a megawatt as part of the 2009 Lighting Incentive Program. That is the equivalent of permanently turning off 10,000 100-watt light bulbs. OPPD reimburses up to 20 percent of the cost of the lighting upgrades, up to $20,000. So far, customers have spent more than $1 million on their projects.

The Lighting Incentive Program is part of OPPD’s ongoing Aim Green initiative. Increased energy efficiency helps all OPPD customers by delaying the need to build expensive new power plants.

Lighting is an important area for energy savings as it can account for as much as 40 percent of a building’s energy consumption.

OPPD officials are pleased with the success of the program and have renewed it for 2010. The incentives will be available on a first-come basis to commercial customers. Information about the program including incentive amounts is available at: http://www.oppd.com/BusinessCustomers/ProductsServices/22_003643

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New Officers for 2010 to Lead OPPD Board

The Board of Directors of the Omaha Public Power District has selected its officers for 2010. The Board unanimously elected John K. Green as Chairman of the Board, N.P. Dodge Jr. as Vice Chairman, John R. Thompson as Treasurer and Michael J. Cavanaugh as Board Secretary. The elections were held during January’s regular business meeting.

Mr. John K. Green, who represents the Metropolitan Subdivision, was first elected to the Board in 1986. Mr. Green has previously served as Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

Mr. Green holds bachelor's and law degrees from Creighton University. He once also served as an administrative assistant to Congressman John Cavanaugh. He is currently an attorney at law with Pickens, Daubman & Green, LLP. Mr. Green is a member of the Omaha, Nebraska, and American Bar Associations and the Nebraska and American Trial Lawyers Associations.

N.P. Dodge Jr. was first elected to the board in 1994. He has also previously served as Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Dodge represents customers in the Metropolitan Subdivision.

Mr. Dodge is President and Chairman of the Board of the N.P. Dodge Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and serves on the boards of directors of American States Water Company and Bridges Investment Council. He was the 1997 chairman of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and past chairman of the Chamber’s Advisory Council Committee. Currently, he is a member of the Physicians Clinic Board of Trustees, Omaha Community Playhouse Foundation Board of Trustees and Omaha Police Foundation Board.

He is a past member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council – University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Economic Development Commission, the Nebraska Power Review Board and Mayor’s Crime Commission. He is past director of the Girls Club of Omaha and of the Firstar Bank in Council Bluffs; and past president of the Omaha chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Managers.

Mr. John R. Thompson represents the Suburban Subdivision. He was first elected to the board in 2004.

Mr. Thompson is a Land Developer. He is past owner of Putt-Putt Golf of Bellevue and several businesses in Nebraska and Iowa. He is also the developer of Twin Creek Center in Bellevue. Mr. Thompson is a past member of the Bellevue City Council, chairman of several sanitary improvement districts, a 37-year member of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and has served on various land planning boards. He is co-chair of the Parent Television Counci

Other organizations where he has served include the Memorial Ridge of the Midlands Foundation as Vice President, the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery Advisory Board, the Sarpy County Economic Development Committee (1996 to 2002) and the United States Navy (1969 to 1971) , a Vietnam veteran, ComCruDesFlot 9, Seventh Fleet, from which he was honorably discharged.

Mr. Thompson and his wife of 38 years, Monie (Hokanson) Thompson, have two sons, E. Grant and Adam R.

Mr. Michael J. Cavanaugh was first elected to the board in1994. He represents the Metropolitan Subdivision.

Mr. Cavanaugh is a retired Police Lieutenant for the City of Omaha who holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is also a real estate investor – manager and a former licensed Nebraska realtor, involved in residential property management.

A lifetime resident of Omaha, Mr. Cavanaugh is a former Rotary member and former member of the Omaha Jaycees. He has served as a member of various City of Omaha committees dealing with job training for underprivileged teens and with enforcing housing code violations within the city.

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OPPD Announces Doghman as New Vice President

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the appointment of Mohamad Doghman as Vice President of Transmission and Distribution Engineering and Operations. In his new position, Mr. Doghman will have overall responsibility for the power lines, substations and other equipment that make up OPPD’s electrical grid.

Mr. Doghman began his career with OPPD in 1989 as a senior engineer. Since that time he has gained extensive experience in operations, engineering, maintenance optimization and automation. He has served in many leadership roles during his career and has been instrumental in initiating and implementing new technologies and process improvement programs at OPPD. His most recent position with OPPD was Division Manager of Engineering.

Prior to joining OPPD, Mr. Doghman worked as an electrical engineer with 3M and as a project engineer with the engineering and construction company Black & Veatch. Mr. Doghman graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree, from the University of Missouri at Columbia with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree and from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with an Executive Masters in Business Administration degree. He is a licensed professional engineer and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Mo and his wife, Mary, have two children.

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OPPD Approves Purchase Agreement for Additional Wind Energy

The Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors has approved a power purchase agreement expected to substantially increase the district’s renewable energy portfolio. Under the agreement the utility plans to purchase up to 40.5 megawatts (MW) of wind energy for twenty years from a wind farm to be built in Boone County near Petersburg, Nebraska. The facility is expected to be in service by the third quarter of 2011.

The developer of the wind farm is Third Planet Windpower, LLC, headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada, and also with an office in Petersburg, Nebraska. The project is a Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) project, the first one for OPPD under a law passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2007 to promote the development of wind energy projects in the state. The power purchase agreement approved by the board is with TPW Petersburg, LLC.

As a C-BED project, 33 percent of the revenue payments from the wind farm will go to qualified Nebraska residents or organizations that have invested in the project. The farm will consist of 27 General Electric turbines that will each generate 1.5 MW when the wind is blowing at optimum. Once completed, the project is expected to produce enough electricity to provide the annual needs of about 12,000 residential customers.

The addition of the 40.5 MW project will bring OPPD’s renewable energy generation capacity to a total of 141.5 MW. The district has announced a goal of 400 MW or 10 percent of its total generation being derived from renewable energy sources by 2020.

The new purchase agreement follows a request for proposals that OPPD issued in August of 2008. The district received 12 different proposals as a result. Each was carefully evaluated.

In addition to the Petersburg wind farm, OPPD has already been purchasing 10 MW of energy from Nebraska Public Power District’s Ainsworth Wind Farm since 2005 and 25 MW from NPPD’s Elkhorn Ridge Wind Farm since last year. OPPD also has a current contract to take delivery of 60 MW of wind energy from the Flat Water Wind Farm in Richardson County, Nebraska, before the end of this year and owns a wind turbine in Valley, Nebraska, that produces .66 MW of wind energy.

In other action, the board also:

• authorized management to pursue a possible change in OPPD’s membership status with the Southwest Power Pool.
• authorized management to negotiate and award the necessary contracts for new main feedwater pumps at Fort Calhoun Station.
• approved the pledged securities covering the district’s account balances held at financial institutions.
• approved the Corporate Officer appointment of Mohamad Doghman as Vice President of Transmission and Distribution Engineering and Operations.
• elected Board Officers for the year 2010.

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OPPD Advises: Look Up Before Raking

The winter weather has a number of area residents purchasing roof rakes to clear snow from their roofs. Many of the tools have long, metal handles and, with the rake on the end, are top-heavy. Combine that with a bit of wind and it would be easy for a roof rake to get out of control and, perhaps, hit a nearby power line.

OPPD cautions residents using any kind of long tools or ladders to look up and make certain there are no power lines near where they are working.

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OPPD Offers New Video Energy Library Online

Ever wonder about the best ways to reduce the energy you use to heat and cool your home without sacrificing personal comfort? Maybe you have noticed that your house seems to be getting a little draftier due to air leakage and you are looking for the best ways to improve the situation by sealing some of those air leaks. Maybe you are in the market for some new windows and doors and you want to make sure whatever you buy will not end up costing you more money in the long run.

These are just a few of the subjects tackled in the Omaha Public Power District’s new online Energy Efficiency Video Library. The new video library is now available on the District’s internet website.

Other topics and videos include the Top 10 List of Energy Efficiency Tips, How to Reduce Home Lighting Costs, Preventing Phantom Energy Use by Home Electronics and Appliances, Energy Efficiency for the Home Water Heater and the Benefits of Heat Pumps.

The videos are part of the District’s ongoing efforts to educate customers about the advantages of energy efficiency. The information was formerly offered to the public by OPPD in classroom settings. The advantage of video is that the same basic information will be available to customers in a shorter, easier to digest form that interested individuals can view in the convenience of home whenever they wish. Customers with specific questions or questions that require more in-depth discussion will still be able to contact OPPD’s Energy Advisor and subject experts.

In addition to the video library, OPPD will continue to offer its Professional Series of classes. Those classes are open to real estate professionals, engineers and architects and are approved for CE (continuing education) credits.

Consumers can access OPPD’s Energy Efficiency Video Library by visiting the District’s website at www.oppd.com or by going to www.aimgreenomaha.com. Videos can also be accessed on You Tube by going to www.youtube.com/aimgreen.

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