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Staying Lit

When a storm knocks out power to Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) customers, the last thing OPPD wants is to lose power at the command center of its power restoration efforts. Today, OPPD Directors took a step in making sure that didn’t happen. In a vote to make certain the lights stay on at its Energy Control Center, the OPPD Board of Directed awarded a $1.4 million ($1,426,770) contract to Commonwealth Electric Company of Omaha. The contract will upgrade 23-year-old equipment at the control center, giving it a high degree of reliability.

Currently, the control center is fed by circuits that automatically back each other up in case of a failure. It also has a stand-by generator to function in case both circuits are taken out of action. But some power outages over the last several years have pointed out the effects of aging on the equipment. The new contract would modernize the power equipment to enable smoother transitions between circuits or when the generator turns on.

A number of other improvements are included in the contract.

In other action, the board:

• approved a revision to the District’s contract with Offutt Air Force Base to reflect increasing costs of buying and transmitting electricity from the Western Area Power Administration to the base.
• rejected all bids for high voltage circuit breakers as technically or legally non-responsive and authorized management to negotiate and enter into a contract for the breakers.
• approved the 2010 Board Meeting Schedule (which follows).

2010 Board Meeting Schedule

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Fort Calhoun Station Begins Refueling Outage

The Omaha Public Power District’s nuclear power plant, Fort Calhoun Station, was taken off line this past weekend, November 1, 2009, for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage. A nuclear plant such as Fort Calhoun shuts down approximately every 18 months to refuel.

During the outage, about one third of the fuel assemblies in the reactor core will be replaced with new fuel, which will remain in the reactor for approximately four and a half years.

Plant personnel and numerous other OPPD employees will perform hundreds of activities with supplemental workers from outside companies assisting. In all, an estimated 1,200 workers will take part in nearly 8,700 activities and tasks during the outage.

Besides refueling the plant, workers will conduct numerous tests and perform preventive maintenance on plant equipment and instrumentation to ensure the plant continues to perform safely at peak efficiency. Other activities will include repairing or replacing special equipment where determined necessary.

When operating, Fort Calhoun Station generates approximately 500 million watts of emission-free power.

The Omaha Public Power District serves more than 340-thousand retail customers, the most of any utility in Nebraska.

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Sustainability To Be A Big Part Of New OPPD Service Center

A new service center for the Omaha Public Power District will feature some of the latest environmental and sustainability practices. The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) has agreed to pay most of the costs of constructing the new service center, which will move to an area near Eppley Airfield, so that UNMC can expand its research facilities. UNMC will take over the current OPPD property at 601 South Saddle Creek Road.

The NU Board of Regents recently approved bond financing to pay for the bulk of the construction costs. The university’s share would total around $11.3 million dollars. OPPD will pay the remaining $2.5 million to expand the size of the new center by 12,000 square feet over the existing center and to make the new building more environmentally sustainable.

OPPD hopes to have the new facility conform to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, which set benchmarks for environmentally sustainable construction. These standards apply to the design, construction and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. The benchmarks concentrate on improving a building’s performance in energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, material selection, water savings and sustainable site development.

Various sustainable features planned for the new center include solar photovoltaic panels, thermal solar heating, advanced lighting, operational windows, special roofing materials, energy- efficient fixtures and a number of other features.

The agreement with UNMC and university officials calls for OPPD to manage construction of the new facility.

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OPPD Adopts Revised Standards on Future Power Policy

The Omaha Public Power District’s Board of Directors today formally adopted five new energy standards developed to provide future direction in its power policies. The standards deal with issues ranging from investing in “Smart Grid” systems to designing customer rates that would best promote energy efficiency. Today’s adoption comes after asking for and receiving input on the standards while keeping electricity reliable and affordable.

The new standards approved today also call for continued use of Integrated Resource Planning which maps the type of generation that OPPD would use in the future and what type of incentives might be provided to better utilize energy in the industrial sector.

Consideration and approval of the new standards were required by a 2007 federal law. The law was intended to encourage conservation of energy supplied by electric utilities to customers; to promote the optimal efficiency of electric utility facilities and resources; and to promote the establishment of equitable rates for electric consumers.

In other action, the board also:In other action, the board also:

• approved a contract for a new system at Nebraska City Station Unit 1 in order to comply with federal rules on regional haze. The contract will be with Fuel Tech, Inc., of Warrenville, Illinois, for $12,650,185.
• approved entering into a contract for uranium enrichment services for Fort Calhoun Station for 2014 – 2024. The contract goes to LES/Urenco for a total of $167,473,000 over those ten years.

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OPPD Announces Appointment

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointment:

Richard M. Miller has been appointed to the position of Field Supervisor T&D Distribution Services, Transmission and Distribution Operations Division effective October 4. Mr. Miller began his career with OPPD in 1985. He most recently served as a Working Line Crew Leader.

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OPPD Costs Cuts Mean Closings

The Omaha Public Power District will be cutting costs by closing some of its offices. Beginning in January 2010, its customer offices in Bellevue and west Omaha will close and the customer and clerical activities in the North Bend office will move to other OPPD offices, with some of those positions to be lost through attrition. OPPD line crews will continue to work out of the North Bend office.

The Bellevue and west Omaha branches are the least-used of OPPD’s five metro area offices. The majority of the business transacted there is in the form of bank cards and checks, which OPPD can process through other, more cost-efficient channels. The closings will take effect at the end of business on December 31, 2009. OPPD has seen activity in most of its branch offices decline as more customers take advantage of conducting business with the utility over the Internet.

The Bellevue office is located at 1103 Galvin Road South and the west Omaha branch is located at 741 North 114th Street in Omaha. The actions are expected to save the District a significant amount in operating expenses yearly.

The changes at North Bend will also take place December 31, 2009.

“The decision to make these changes was not easy,” said OPPD President Gary Gates.

“Like other businesses, we are subject to increases in the costs of operating. We have already seen steep increases when it comes to fuel, transportation, and materials such as steel. We have promised our customer–owners that we would do everything possible to control spending and cut costs where possible.”

OPPD officials have tracked how more customers conduct their business online and fewer transact business in person. The District is working to provide more opportunities for customers to work with them online. It already has numerous payment options for customers, including the recently introduced “MyAccount” option.

Other metro area branch offices remain open, including one at the District’s corporate downtown headquarters in Energy Plaza at 444 South 16th Street Mall Omaha, the South Omaha office at 3319 L Street, and one at 2950 Ames Avenue in North Omaha.

Starting January 1, the downtown office will remain open until 8 pm on weekdays to help accommodate customers and will open on Saturdays from 9 am until noon. The South Omaha and North Omaha offices will not be open on Saturdays, beginning January 1.

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Educational Initiative to Boost Energy Efficiency Efforts

One of the major challenges for anyone who owns, manages or holds properties for investment in today’s business environment is energy management.

The Omaha Public Power District has joined with the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Building Owners and Manager Association of Omaha (BOMA Omaha) to offer a unique training program for more than a dozen students. During the fall 2009 semester, the university has added ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Training to the curriculum of its Real Estate Management course.

Portfolio Manager is an online interactive management tool which is part of the ENERGY STAR program. Portfolio Manager tracks and assesses energy and water consumption. It is designed to help individuals set investment priorities, identify under-performing buildings, verify efficiency improvements and receive ENERGY STAR/Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognition for superior energy performance in building properties.

The undergraduate students participating in the course being offered at UNO will learn the basic principles of benchmarking. Each student will be assigned several buildings selected by members of BOMA Omaha and will then collect and analyze data from those buildings concerning energy usage and building characteristics. The data will then be entered into the Portfolio Manager. Any building that receives a Portfolio Manager rating of 75 or above will be reported to OPPD which will then provide the necessary engineering review, including evaluation of indoor air quality and lighting levels. If all criteria are met OPPD will submit the application for the building to become recognized as ENERGY STAR labeled.

Costs associated with the ENERGY STAR label application process will be shared by OPPD and the building owner.

Once a building has been benchmarked and reviewed, the Portfolio Manager account associated with that building will be transferred to the BOMA Omaha members involved.

OPPD hopes the collaboration with the university students will encourage BOMA Omaha members to continue to update their buildings’ energy usage and to enter additional buildings in Portfolio Manager not included in the course. BOMA initially submitted 60 buildings for benchmarking. For students involved, the experience will allow them to leave class with a marketable skill and additional knowledge about energy efficiency as they enter into the workforce.

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OPPD to Put $100,000 Grant in the Field(s)

The Omaha Public Power District will be plowing a $100,000 USDA grant into finding ways to help farmers operate more energy-efficiently. The funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used primarily to conduct energy audits for agricultural irrigation and grain-drying operations in the OPPD’s 13-county service territory.

The district plans to conduct approximately 200 audits over the next two years. The audits will provide producers with valuable information on how they can reduce their energy consumption and analyze various energy-efficiency changes.

Among other things, the funds will cover 75 percent of the cost of auditing irrigation pump conversions from diesel to electric, and the cost of audits of efficiency changes to grain-drying equipment. An audit is required by the USDA for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), through which agricultural producers apply for grants to cover up to 25 percent of their project cost for efficiency upgrades.

The grant awarded to OPPD allows the district to target a specific segment of agricultural producers in an area where resources have been limited in the past. The funds are a portion of the $13 million in loans and grants being made available by the federal government for 233 renewable energy projects in 38 states. The program was authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. The funds are not part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress to spur the nation’s economy.

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OPPD Collects Ninth Consecutive J.D. Power Award

Some things never become old hat, like getting a pat on the back when someone thinks you are doing a good job. That is especially true when that someone happens to be your customers. The Omaha Public Power District today officially accepted once such pat on the back, the 2009 J.D. Power Award for residential customer satisfaction.

The award was presented to the District during the September monthly meeting of the OPPD Board of Directors. Accepting on behalf of the Board was Chairman Fred J. Ulrich and W. Gary Gates, OPPD President and CEO.

This is the ninth consecutive year that OPPD has earned honors for receiving the highest ranking for residential customer satisfaction in its category. The rankings are based on an independent survey of customers served by the nation’s 121 largest utilities. The survey is conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing and information services firm based in California. The study measures customer satisfaction with their electric utilities in six main areas. The areas include price, power quality and reliability, billing and payment, corporate citizenship, customer communications and customer service.

Mid-sized utilities are those serving between 125,000 and 499,999 residential customers. OPPD serves more than 340,000 customers. This is the second time this year that J.D. Power has honored OPPD. In May of this year, a similar study of business customers also ranked OPPD first when it comes to satisfaction of business customers in the Midwest region.

“We truly appreciate the continuing recognition from our customers and from J.D. Power and Associates as we accept this award on behalf of all the OPPD employees who work so hard to make this happen,” said OPPD President Gary Gates.

“It is especially meaningful at a time when we like so many other utilities are faced with challenging economic times as we work to continue to achieve our goals to exceed our customers’ expectations, provide them with a personal touch and assure them that our product is reliable and affordable,” Mr. Gates said.

The award was presented by Chris Oberle, a vice president of J.D. Power and Associates. This is the eleventh year for the national survey conducted by the California-based firm.

In other action, the board also:

• approved awarding a contract to Probst Electric Inc. of Heber City, Utah, for $1,020,285.98 to rebuild a transmission line running from the substation line at 108th and Blondo to 138th and State Streets.
• approved awarding a contract to Probst Electric Inc. of Heber City, Utah, for $1,020,285.98 to rebuild a transmission line running from the substation line at 108th and Blondo to 138th and State Streets.

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OPPD Puts Plant Expansion Project on Hold

The slow economy has postponed an Omaha Public Power District project that would have expanded the capabilities of the utility’s power plant in Cass County, Nebraska. The project was first announced last November and was expected to cost an estimated $340.2 million.

The District decided to delay the expansion because recent forecasts of power usage indicate it will not be necessary in 2014, when it was scheduled to go online. The District had planned to begin construction next year. The decision to delay will take about $27 million out of the 2010 capital budget. The District will complete the work it had begun on a well field for the project and continue preliminary transmission studies so those portions will be ready when the expansion is revisited.

“As soon as we realized it would not be necessary to spend the money next year, we decided to take it out of the budget so our customer-owners would not be paying for generation before it was needed,” said OPPD Vice President Dale Widoe, who oversees this area.

The Cass County Peaking Station was initially completed in 2003. It was built with possible expansion in mind. Like the other two peaking plants operated by OPPD, it currently runs only during times of high electricity use.

The delayed project would have converted the current natural-gas-powered units into a combined cycle plant able to capture waste heat from the existing combustion turbines and use that heat to generate additional electricity. It would then have operated more often.

The peaking plant currently generates up to 320 megawatts (MW) of power. The change would have enabled the station to produce an additional 210 MW (1 MW equals 1,000 kilowatts).

OPPD continually updates its projections for the future use of electricity, which go fifteen years into the future. It then studies the best ways to meet that demand. The plan considers various types of generation as well as programs aimed at boosting energy-efficiency and conservation.

One of the challenges this year is the prospect of major federal climate change legislation such as cap and trade or a carbon tax and the effects they may have of OPPD’s operations.

One of the challenges this year is the prospect of major federal climate change legislation such as cap and trade or a carbon tax and the effects they may have of OPPD’s operations.

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Fort Calhoun Station Siren Test Set for Wednesday

The Omaha Public Power District will conduct its annual test of the siren alert system around the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station on Wednesday, August 19, 2009. All radio-controlled sirens located within a 10-mile radius of Fort Calhoun Station will sound for a full three minutes sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Fort Calhoun Station is located about 19 miles north of Omaha and just outside of Blair, Nebraska. Because this is only a test, no action by the public is required.

The siren system is designed to alert those who live or work within 10 miles of Fort Calhoun Station in the unlikely event of a serious accident at the station. The test is conducted to ensure the system is working properly. If an event were to occur, the sirens would sound to signal people to tune to KFAB radio, 1110 on the AM dial for official information and instructions. That radio station serves as the primary source of information from Nebraska and Iowa authorities in this area.

Anyone noticing a siren malfunction during the test on Wednesday, August 19, is asked to call (402) 636-3747 or write the Consumer Relations Department, Omaha Public Power District, 444 S. 16th St. Mall, Omaha, NE 68102-2247.

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OPPD Applies for Federal Stimulus Funds

The Omaha Public Power District is applying for federal stimulus funds for a project utilizing “smart grid” technology to accelerate modernization of the its electric grid system. If approved, the OPPD project that will cost around $7.8 million dollars. Stimulus funds would pay for half of that amount while the District would pay the remaining half.

Smart grid technology refers to the use of computers and other new technological systems that allow for more efficient delivery of electric power to homes and businesses. The U. S. Energy Department and others say that such technology may be able to lower energy usage and its cost, reduce power plant emissions and increase security for grid operations.

The OPPD project would immediately enable smart grid functions in the Omaha metropolitan area and 17 surrounding rural communities served by the District. Among other things, the project would expand the current capabilities of the Mobile Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system. It would erect a wireless system would support a number of new services and save the utility money.

The expanded system would eventually allow customers to compare their energy usage with similar customers and create the possibility of pre-paid metering.

The latest grant application by OPPD is one of at least sixteen applications submitted by the District alone or in partnerships seeking a portion of the $4 Billion that the Energy Department has set aside to encourage investment in smart grid technology and to stimulate the economy.

Among the other applications, the District is lead applicant for grants dealing with the Power Drive® program, solar power, and emergency transmission supplies to be used in case of major outages.

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OPPD Takes Action on Net Metering

The Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors has approved changes to the district’s rate schedules and regulations to comply with Nebraska’s new law on net metering for consumer-owned generators.

The new law passed earlier this year by the Nebraska Legislature required utilities to allow net metering for consumer-owners generators with a capacity of 25 kilowatts (kW) or less that utilize methane, wind, solar, biomass, hydropower or geothermal resources to produce electricity. Net metering provides for the owner of a qualified system to receive retail credit for at least a portion of the electricity they generate. While OPPD had net metering for its customers, the law made it necessary to make changes in the OPPD policies as the law specified payment terms, metering, safety, and other requirements.

The action taken by the OPPD Board during its regular monthly meeting implements for customers a new service rider for net metering. Consumers taking service under the new rate schedule must remain on the schedule for at least twelve months. In addition to implementing a new service rider, the board voted to modify the existing Standby Service Rate Schedule and Service Regulations in compliance of state law. The proposals were reviewed and recommended by the District’s rate consultant CH2M Hill.

The new provisions concerning net metering are scheduled to take effect September 1.

In other action, the board:

• authorized management to negotiate a contract for equipment and materials to replace some components of the emergency diesel generators at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station.
• awarded a contract for $178,800 to WEG Electric Corporation of Suwanee, Georgia, for the purchase and delivery of a generator auxiliary transformer for North Omaha Station.
• awarded contracts totaling $11,338,344 for the repair, replacement and upgrade of various components to ensure the continued reliable operation of Nebraska City Station Unit 1. The contracts will go to Siemens Energy, Inc., of Orlando, Florida, and ABB Inc. of St Laurent, Quebec.

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OPPD Announces Appointments

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Anthony E. Green has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Maintenance Fort Calhoun Station, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Division effective July 26. Mr. Green began his career with OPPD in 1985. He most recently served as an Instrument Control Coordinator.

Jeffrey A. Karloff has been appointed to the position of Manager of Peaking Stations, Production Operations Division effective July 26. Mr. Karloff most recently served as Supervisor – Technical at the North Omaha Station. He started with OPPD in 1984. He holds a doctor degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Raymond E. Janiak has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Facility Services and Space Planning, Facilities Management Division effective August 2. Mr. Janiak began his career with OPPD in 1982 and most recently served as a Project Engineer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

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OPPD Receives Ninth Consecutive J.D. Power Award

The Omaha Public Power District has again received the J.D. Power Award for residential customer satisfaction. This is the ninth consecutive year that OPPD has received this recognition, which is based on the annual J.D. Power and Associates Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM.

J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing and information services firm based in California. Its independent survey of electric utility customers ranked OPPD “highest among midsize utility companies in the Midwest.” The firm defines midsize utilities as those serving between 125,000 and 499,999 residential customers. In May of this year, a similar study of business customers also ranked OPPD as first in business customers satisfaction in the Midwest region.

The study released today measures customer satisfaction with their electric utilities in six key areas. Those include power quality and reliability, price, billing and payment, corporate citizenship, customer communications and customer service.

“We truly appreciate the continuing recognition from our customers and from J.D. Power and Associates,” said OPPD President Gary Gates. “Our employees work hard to exceed our customers’ expectations, provide them with a personal touch and assure that our product is reliable and affordable. Over the last year, we have also launched a number of new initiatives aimed at fulfilling our mission of serving our customer owners.

“Those initiatives include our efforts to increase the amount of renewable energy that we use, such as wind energy, greater promotion of energy efficiency, and new online customer and billing services on our website (oppd.com). We have managed to do this because of the great support of our customer-owners, and we’re thankful for that support.”

The satisfaction study is based on telephone interviews with more than 79,500 residential customers of the 121 largest utilities across the continental United States. The interviews were conducted between July 2008 and the end of May of this year. This is the eleventh year for the national survey conducted by the California-based marketing firm.

To view the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study news release, click here.

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OPPD Officially Dedicates New Generating Plant

Officials of the Omaha Public Power District gathered today with a number of other dignitaries, including Nebraska Governor Dave Heinemann, to officially dedicate the utility’s new electric generating plant, Nebraska City Station Unit 2. The new power plant, the second for OPPD in the Nebraska City area, is the first baseload plant constructed by the utility in over three decades. A baseload plant produces electricity around the clock, seven days a week, except for scheduled outages.

Nebraska City Power Partners (NCPP), the contractor for the project, broke ground for the facility in September 2005. The contract to build the plant was the largest single contract ever for OPPD when it was approved by the District’s Board of Directors. Total direct production costs for Nebraska City Station Unit 2 were budgeted at approximately $710 million. Nebraska City Station Unit 2 will generate 682 megawatts of electricity. Half of that generation will be used by OPPD and the rest by seven other public utilities in Nebraska, Missouri and Minnesota under long-term purchasing contracts.

OPPD President Gary Gates noted that the new plant was completed on time and several million dollars under budget.

“This plant is a wise investment in energy security for our customer-owners, allowing us to provide the generation needed to satisfy the increasing demand for electricity for many years to come” said Mr. Gates.

Gates noted that the timing of construction proved beneficial for OPPD and the other utilities participating in the project, adding that costs for similar plants now under construction elsewhere are significantly higher.

The plant utilizes the latest, state-of-the-art emissions control equipment which cost an estimated $65 million. The facility will also mean an additional 70 permanent jobs for the Nebraska City area.

The new plant officially began commercial operation on May 1.

The public utilities purchasing power from the plant on long-term contracts are Nebraska Public Power District, Nebraska City Utilities, Falls City Utilities, City of Grand Island Utilities Department, City of Independence (Missouri) power & Light, Missouri Joint Electric Utility Commission and Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency.

Nebraska City Power Partners, the contractors for the project, was a consortium made up of Zachry Industrial Inc., Black & Veatch and Gilbert Industrial Corporation, a Division of Kiewit Construction Group.

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OPPD Buys Wind from New Southeast Nebraska Farm

Omaha Public Power District customers will be using more home-grown wind energy in the next few years after an action taken tonight at the OPPD Board meeting. OPPD Directors authorized the District to buy 60 Megawatts (MW) of wind-generated electricity from a wind farm to be built in Richardson County in southeast Nebraska. The Power Purchase Agreement with Flat Water Wind Farm, LLC, is the largest purchase OPPD has made of wind-generated electricity. Flat Water Wind Farm, LLC, is a subsidiary of juwi Group/JW Prairie Wind Power, Lawrence, Kansas.

The contract calls for OPPD to buy wind energy from the new farm for twenty years once it is in service in mid to late 2010. Current plans for the wind farm call for forty General Electric 1.5 MW wind turbines in an area near Humboldt, Nebraska.

Finding wind in southeast Nebraska that will support cost-effective utility-scale wind farms is difficult. However, the developers of this facility found an area where the terrain and wind patterns combine to create wind that should allow the wind turbines to produce about 40 percent of their total capacity. This is enough for cost-effective large-scale wind energy.

The wind farm can be expected to produce annually the same amount of electricity as was used last year by 19,000 average residential customers.

Flat Water Wind Farm, LLC, responded to OPPD’s Request for Proposals last August for up to 80 MW of wind-generated electricity. Discussions with other respondents to the request are ongoing.

The purchase agreement brings OPPD’s amount of purchased wind energy to 95 MW, with 25 MW being purchased from a wind farm near Bloomfield, Nebraska, and 10 MW being purchased from a wind farm near Ainsworth, Nebraska. The purchase moves OPPD toward its goal of having 10 percent of its energy come from renewable sources by 2020.

In other action, the board:

• authorized management to purchase a high voltage transformer from HICO America of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for $3,133,345.
• approved the engineers’ certification and authorized management to negotiate a contract with Siemens Power Generation to inspect, repair, and procure replacement parts for a combustion turbine at Sarpy County Station. The amount of the contract is not to exceed $6,500,000.
• approved the engineers’ certification and authorized management to purchase an additional refurbishment kit for a coolant pump at Fort Calhoun Station from Flowserve Corporation of Irving, Texas, for $196,672.
• approved a resolution of appreciation recognizing the Nebraska City Station Unit 2 project team.

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Joint News Release from OPPD and juwi Wind US

Omaha, NE; Cleveland, OH – Omaha Public Power District, (OPPD) has approved a long-term Renewable Energy Purchase Agreement to purchase all the output of a 60-megawatt (MW) wind energy facility to be built in Richardson County, Nebraska.

Through the 20-year agreement with Flat Water Wind Farm LLC, a subsidiary of juwi Group/ JW Prairie Wind Power, Lawrence, Kansas, OPPD will purchase all of the output and renewable energy credits from the Richardson County Wind Facility. Construction of the facility is expected to begin in late 2009 or 2010, and commercial operation is expected, by latest, the end of 2010. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

OPPD Board Chairman Fred Ulrich said, “Land in this area has produced food for our dinner tables for generations. Now, the wind in this area will generate power for our electrical needs for years to come.”

Ralf M. Krueger, CEO of juwi Wind US, said: “This is another key milestone for our group and comes just weeks after our sister company, juwi Solar Inc, Boulder, CO, signed a PPA for a 10 MW solar project. We will continue to grow our business to enable our partner utilities to offer their customers affordable green energy. At the same time, we are so pleased that these projects will bring investment and jobs into America’s fine heartland communities.

OPPD President and CEO Gary Gates said, “We are pleased to add to our growing supply of renewable energy and are especially happy that this project will benefit OPPD customer-owners by providing the jobs and investment that Mr. Krueger mentioned.”

Richard Zachariason, COO of juwi Wind US, added: “The negotiations with the management of OPPD were held in a very positive spirit of openness and collaboration. We are very appreciative of that and look forward to continuing and expanding the relationship with OPPD to harness America’s cheapest ‘fuel’.”

About OPPD: OPPD is a customer-owned utility serving a population of 754,000 people in all or parts of 13 counties in east and southeast Nebraska. It has provided reliable, affordable electric service for more than 60 years.

About juwi Group: The juwi group (www.juwi.de) was founded in 1996 by Matthias Willenbacher and Fred Jung. The CEOs transformed the company from a two-person operation focusing on wind farm project development into an internationally active group with around 600 employees and an annual turnover of more than 650 million euros. As well as solar power and bio energy, juwi also specializes in wind and water power, and geothermal energy. To date, juwi has installed more than 350 wind turbines producing a total output of over 550 MW.

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OPPD Asks Public for Input on Future Power Policy

How do you think Omaha Public Power District can best meet the future electricity needs of its customers? What do you think about a “Smart Grid” and should it be something in which the District should invest? What kind of changes to customer rates would best promote energy efficiency or investments in energy efficiency? Most importantly, in the face of these and other possible changes, how should the District go about ensuring that the electricity provided to customers remains affordable and reliable?

OPPD wants to know what you think about these and other issues and is asking for suggestions from its customers.

It is all part of the utility’s effort to comply with the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) signed into law in 2007. EISA requires utilities to consider four standards that support the intent of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act and one additional standard. The goals of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act are to encourage conservation of energy supplied by electric utilities ; the optimal efficiency of electric utility facilities and resources; and equitable rates for electric consumers.

A list and a discussion of the standards are now available for viewing on the District’s website. The standards include Integrated Resource Planning, a plan for the type of generation to be used by OPPD in future years; Rate Design Modifications to promote energy efficiency investments; consideration of Smart Grid Investments, a modernization of the electric transmission and distribution grid systems using digital technology to improve energy delivery to customers; Smart Grid Information, information to electric customers regarding their electricity usage and prices; and Waste Energy Projects, additional incentives for the recovery, use and prevention of industrial waste energy.

The standards and discussion can be viewed by going to the OPPD website at www.oppd.com. Once on the website, interested parties will be able make suggestion and give their input. Their comments will be taken into account before final recommendations are made and forwarded to the OPPD Board of Directors for consideration later this year.

OPPD customers will have until August 9, 2009, to offer comments.

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OPPD Announces Appointments

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Samuel M. Peterson has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Maintenance Nebraska City Station, Production Operations Division, effective June 29. Mr. Peterson joins OPPD from URS Corporation where he was employed as a Process and Energy Group Leader. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Jerry D. Beasley has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Quality Control, Quality and Performance Improvement Division, effective June 28. Mr. Beasley began his career with OPPD in 1991 and most recently served as a Senior Instructional Technician. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nondestructive Testing from Southeast Community College.

Aaron T. Smith has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Distribution Planning, Transmission and Distribution Planning Department, System Planning and Work Management Division effective June 28. After a former stint with OPPD, Mr. Smith re-joined the District in 2007 and served most recently as a Senior Distribution Planning Engineer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Rolla.

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New Date and Time for OPPD Board Meeting in July

The Omaha Public Power District is advising customers that the OPPD Board of Directors will hold its July 2009 board meeting on an earlier date and at a different time than normally scheduled.

The board’s monthly meeting will be held Thursday, July 9, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the district’s corporate headquarters. The corporate headquarters are located at Energy Plaza, 444 South 16th Street Mall, Omaha, NE. OPPD board meetings are normally held the first Thursday after the tenth of each month at 10 a.m. Directors periodically schedule evening meetings in an effort to strengthen communications with customer-owners and make it more convenient for customers to meet with the board.

The July committee meetings for the board will be held earlier than usual as a result. The committee meetings will be held on Tuesday, July 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Energy Plaza.

All board meetings are open to the public.

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State Grant to Aid OPPD Efforts to Cut Diesel Emissions

The Omaha Public Power District is working on controlling its carbon footprint and a new grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Diesel Grant program will help that effort. The NDEQ has announced it has awarded the District $19,000 that will be used to retrofit the diesel exhaust systems in at least ten of its service vehicles. The grant is part of a state and national effort to reduce diesel exhaust and the amount of air pollution created by vehicles fueled by diesel.

OPPD says the vehicles to be retrofitted include at least five aerial basket trucks and five digger/derrick trucks, all model year 2003. In addition to the $19,000 state grant, the District will provide $5,000 in matching funds bringing the total amount of the project to $24,000. The work will be done by Cummins Central Power of Omaha which was low bidder for the retrofit project. Under the guidelines of the grant, OPPD will pay to have the trucks retrofitted and then be reimbursed by the State.

The retrofit aligns with OPPD’s strategic goals of reducing its carbon footprint to help protect the environment, to promote energy efficiency and to increase the emphasis on renewable sources of energy. Earlier this year, as part of its mission to “Aim Green,” OPPD became the first utility in Nebraska to purchase a hybrid basket truck. It is also the only utility with two plug-in hybrid vehicles. Including those, OPPD now has twenty-five hybrid vehicles in its fleet.

The retrofit project is a first for the utility, which is committed to reducing carbon emissions. OPPD also plans to achieve reductions by eliminating unnecessary idling of its vehicles, fueling vehicles where possible with cleaner fuels and replacing the company’s oldest vehicles with new, less polluting vehicles. In 1993, OPPD began using biodiesel in many of its vehicles and is now one of the area’s major users of the fuel. Biodiesel is a blend of specially-prepared vegetable oils such as soy oil and diesel fuel. Besides being manufactured from a renewable energy source, it runs cleaner than with regular diesel fuel.

OPPD hopes to complete the retrofit project by the end of August. The utility’s matching funds for the project will come from OPPD’s Sustainable Energy and Environmental Stewardship Division.

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Helicopter Maintenance Crews Continue Work for OPPD

Helicopter crews doing maintenance work for the Omaha Public Power District will be working in the metropolitan area this week. Beginning Tuesday, crews will be concentrating in the area around Papillion. The effort is part of the project to replace braces used to support high voltage transmission lines on more than one thousand of the district’s H-frame transmission towers.

The project began in the southern half of OPPD’s service territory. It will eventually involve transmission structures running from near Sioux City, Iowa to the Kansas-Nebraska border.

The helicopters are manned by personnel from Haverfield Aviation of Pennsylvania as well as OPPD. The transmission towers on which they are working hold transmission lines that carry up to 345,000 volts of electricity. The braces supporting those lines are called “knee braces.” The District decided it was necessary to replace the current braces because they are deteriorating. While the old braces are wooden, the replacement braces are made of steel.

It was decided to do the work by helicopter in order to speed up the replacement process. Helicopters allow the work to be done quickly and more efficiently while also allowing the transmission lines to remain energized. It also makes it easier for maintenance crews to work in hard-to-reach areas.

OPPD says property owners who own land near the transmission lines and local law enforcement have been notified of the project which began in early May.

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OPPD Combines Exercise, Working for Healthier Employees

Who says that working an office job all day means one cannot be physically fit? The Omaha Public Power District has a plan that goes against that sort of conventional wisdom. In fact, some District employees will soon be able to do their job while becoming healthier at the same time. OPPD plans to launch a pilot program that allows employees to perform their duties while using a new piece of exercise equipment called a “Walkstation.” The unit combines a slow-speed treadmill and a height-adjustable work surface, equipped with a computer and a telephone. At a maximum speed of 2 miles per hour, employees can walk comfortably, burn calories and become more physically fit while doing the same tasks they would normally perform while seated. Employees in OPPD’s Call Center in the district’s downtown Omaha corporate headquarters will get first crack at using the new Walkstation. They were selected because the work they perform daily is often sedentary in nature. Workers will be able to use the Walkstation for periods of time throughout the day usually not exceeding 1 to 2 hours. Use will also depend on availability of the equipment. Employees will go through an orientation program and training before they can use the new unit. The District will also require a signed consent form and an acclimation period before it will schedule time for the workers to walk while working.

In testing the Walkstation, OPPD joins a list of past participants whose workers realized a number of benefits including loss of weight, increased energy on and off the job, reduced stress and decreased muscle fatigue and soreness.

The pilot program is another of OPPD’s ongoing efforts to find innovative ways to enhance the health of its personnel through the District’s Health and Wellness programs, while also enhancing their ability to serve District customers.

OPPD plans to evaluate the Walkstation for 30 days. Employee interest in the program will be assessed during at the same time to determine whether the equipment should be purchased for permanent use on an ongoing basis.

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OPPD Announces Appointments

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Cheryl L. Limbach has been appointed to the position of Manager of Distribution Services, Transmission and Distribution Operations Division effective June 14. Ms. Limbach began her career with OPPD in 1999. She most recently served as Area Supervisor of the District’s North Bend office.

Wesley D. Moore has been appointed to the position of Supervisor Transportation Administration and Engineering, Facilities Management Division effective June 14. Mr. Moore began his career with OPPD in 2000 and most recently served as a Field Supervisor. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

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Cap-and-Trade Would Mean Bigger Bills for OPPD Customer-Owners

OPPD’s customer-owners are today faced with the prospect that federal legislation will undo much of the public power advantages they’ve enjoyed for more than six decades. In a nutshell, the legislation in question -- cap and trade legislation – will produce dramatic increases in the cost of electricity for OPPD customers, with little benefit to our environment.

OPPD is and has always been committed to environmental responsibility. Since our establishment in 1946, OPPD has worked to provide affordable, reliable electricity to its customers. We will continue to do these things, using renewable resources, a growing focus on energy efficiency, sound environmental and business practices, and new technology as it becomes available.

Cap and trade legislation is intended to decrease carbon dioxide emissions produced by fossil-fueled power generating plants. OPPD supports the general concept of decreasing carbon. But the bill being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives -- H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill -- is the wrong tool. Basically, this bill would set up a “cap and trade” system that amounts to a secondary tax to support non-energy-related needs.

Cap and trade will create a market, like the stock market, for the right to emit CO2, and allow regulated industries, such as the electric power sector, to buy and sell the allowances. By setting a “cap” on the amount of allowances and lowering that cap each year, the bill forces power producers to either cut their creation of these gasses or buy the necessary allowances from others. Other players in this market will include hedge funds and international banks.

You should know that no commercially-available carbon-reduction or carbon-control equipment currently exists, nor is it likely for the foreseeable future. However, when and if it becomes available, OPPD customers will also have to pay the cost of buying and operating this equipment, which will amount to hundreds of millions of dollars more.

And it doesn’t end there. Electric rates will escalate even further because the Waxman-Markey bill also requires utilities like OPPD to build or buy a minimum percentage of its electricity from higher-cost renewable generation sources such as wind and solar, even though we may not need the supply. This is known as the Renewable Energy Standard. There are other unfunded mandates in the bill that will raise rates, including building public recharging stations for electric vehicles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has provided a range of realistic assumptions as to the impact of the bill. The bottom line is; our estimates, based on those assumptions, show cap and trade will add 25 percent to electric bills for OPPD customers by 2012. That impact skyrockets to 97 percent by 2030. This translates into an annual increase in an average residential consumer’s bill of around $250 in 2012 up to about $1,000 by 2030. That’s for cap and trade alone and not adjusted for inflation. This legislation will eliminate jobs by increasing electricity bills and, if recent history teaches anything, when energy prices increase, so do the prices of most other necessities, such as food and clothing.

Why do many believe Waxman-Markey will fail to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions? Cap and trade is a scheme that has failed in Europe. Since Europeans adopted the Kyoto Protocols to reduce CO2 in 2000, Europe’s CO2 emissions per unit of Gross Domestic Product have grown faster than those of the U.S. Many Europeans are now paying 20 percent more for their electricity, with no CO2 reduction to show for it.

Higher energy prices in this country will force energy-intensive industries to either move their operations to countries with lower energy costs, such as China and India, or be forced out of business entirely. China and India are the fastest growing CO2 emitters in the world and repeatedly state they have no intention to mandate reductions in CO2. Their increased output of CO2 will more than offset any sacrifices made in the United States.

Again, OPPD is not opposed to reducing carbon in the atmosphere. But cap and trade, as designed in the Waxman-Markey Bill, is not a solution to anything. It is simply a hidden tax that will hurt the most vulnerable of our citizens, drive people out of work and out of their homes, and drag down an already weak economy with no discernable effect on the environment.

Nebraska’s political leaders in Washington, D.C., understand this and oppose the Waxman-Markey approach. They need all of our support.

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OPPD Earns 2009 Energy Star® Leadership Award in Housing

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the Omaha Public Power District is among recipients of the 2009 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award. The award recognizes the District’s efforts to promote energy-efficient construction and environmental protection by sponsoring an ENERGY STAR for New Homes program in its service area over the last year.

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the EPA. These homes must be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to local code and must include additional energy-savings features that make them 20 to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes.

Among the features offered in ENERGY STAR qualified homes beyond those typically provided in a new home are energy-saving features such as effective insulation systems, high performance windows, properly-sized and installed high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, tight construction and other efficient products. Qualified homes must be verified by a third-party.

“EPA is privileged to work with a diverse group of utilities like OPPD, state programs and home builder associations who effectively support ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes,” said Sam Rashkin, National Director of ENERGY STAR for Homes.

“Thanks to the efforts of these sponsors, home buyers across the country have greater access to ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes that cost less to own while improving comfort, indoor air quality, durability and our environment.”

Recently, OPPD’s ENERGY STAR for New Homes program also received the ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence for 2008. Approximately 40 local home builders have partnered with OPPD since the District became a program sponsor in 2007. The result has been an estimated 800 new homes built in the District’s service territory being ENERGY STAR certified.

ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at helping all Americans. Benefits include substantially lower energy costs with savings ranging from $200 to $400 annually according to government estimates as well as greater comfort, improved air quality and lower maintenance costs.

Further information about OPPD’s ENERGY STAR for New Homes program is available by contacting Renee Jacobsen at 402-636-3541 or rmjacobesen@oppd.com. Details are also available at OPPD’s website at www.oppd.com or at www.energystar.gov.

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OPPD Announces Appointments

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Keith A. Morrison has been appointed to the position of Manager of Central Maintenance, Production Operations Division effective May 3. Mr. Morrison most recently served as Supervisor of Maintenance for the Nebraska City Station. He began his career with OPPD in 1979.

Ramon R. Peter has been appointed to the position of Control Room Supervisor, Fort Calhoun Station Nuclear Operations Division effective May 3. Mr. Peter most recently served as a Licensed Operator. He holds a Senior Reactor Operator License from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He began his career with OPPD in 2001.

Lloyd T. Montgomery has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Maintenance, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Division effective May 31. Mr. Montgomery began his career with OPPD in 2000 and most recently served as a Senior I/C Technician.

Michael T. Donahue has been appointed to the position of Manager of Transportation and Construction Equipment, Facilities Management Division effective June 1. Mr. Donahue began his career with OPPD in 1991 and most recently served as Supervisor of Transportation Administration and Engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University.

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OPPD Announces Newest Harding Award Winner for Energy

There is no difference in opinion about the latest honor for the company that has raised opinion polling to an art form. The Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors on Thursday officially recognized Gallup as the winner of the 2009 J.M. Harding Award of Excellence.

Gallup was selected because of its long history of concern for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. It also has shown imagination and creativity in its energy management efforts at its campus and operational headquarters in Omaha. It is also one of the area’s leading corporate citizens.

Founded more than 70 years ago, Gallup’s philosophy revolves around doing the right things. In the process it has earned a reputation as the world’s leading resource for delivering relevant, timely, and visionary research on what people think. This year, it earned its place on a long and distinguished list of OPPD’s large commercial or industrial customers honored annually since 1984 for demonstrating efficient and innovative use of energy.

In presenting the award, OPPD President Gary Gates cited as just one example of that innovation Gallup’s completion in 2008 of a Continuous CommissioningSM (CC SM) project for its headquarter campus overlooking the Missouri River.

Continuous commissioning focuses on optimizing heating and cooling systems and other energy-related systems in existing buildings to reduce energy consumption while improving occupant comfort. Gallup has managed to reduce electricity demand by 14.6 percent, electricity consumption by 28.9 percent and gas consumption by 20.2 percent, based on seven month’s worth of utility data since the project was completed.

OPPD offers Continuous CommissioningSM services to customers in cooperation with the Energy Systems Laboratory of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha‘s Aksarben campus.

Gallup becomes the 26th winner of the award named after OPPD’s first president J.M. Harding. This year’s award was presented during the board’s monthly meeting for June.

Meanwhile, the District also announced the newest Harding scholarship award winners. Selected for 2009 were Troy Bailey of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Song Zheng of Creighton University.

Bailey, a junior majoring in construction engineering technology, is interested in heavy highway construction or the field of geothermal energy. He holds a 3.68 grade point average. Bailey is a graduate of Elkhorn High School.

Zheng is a sophomore who is studying international business. Originally from China, Zheng attended Bryan High School. At Creighton, he has earned a spot on the dean’s list each semester, with a 3.75 grade point average

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OPPD to Update Communication System

When you serve more than 340,000 customers in thirteen counties and cover over 5,000 square miles, it is important to be able to maintain communications and the ability to respond to customers’ needs. Accomplishing that is a priority for the Omaha Public Power District and the reason it plans to upgrade the District’s microwave communication system.

As a solution, the OPPD Board of Directors during its June monthly meeting voted to authorize management to award a contract to communications specialist Alcatel for $4,087,423 for the purchase and installation of new microwave communication equipment. Alcatel was the original supplier and manufacturer of OPPD’s system. The firm plans to upgrade that system while keeping the existing equipment in service. Alcatel also has guaranteed that, as technology changes, it will be possible to upgrade the new equipment without completely replacing the entire system.

The new installations are planned to begin this July and expected to be completed in November 2013.

In other action, the board on Thursday:

• authorized management to purchase from Flowserve Corporation of Irving, Texas, two refurbishment kits for the reactor coolant pump’s mechanical seals at Fort Calhoun Station for $393,344.
• approved a measure to revise the District’s Open Access Transmission Tariff and rates for Grandfathered Agreement customers.
• approved awarding a contract for $511,818 to Lessard Contracting, Inc., of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, for installation of a non-pervious liner in the ash water holding pond at North Omaha Station.
• approved the appointment of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. as an investment manager for a portion of OPPD’s retirement fund.
• indefinitely postponed the awarding of two contracts for the purchase of various equipment for a new substation near Blair, Nebraska
• presented the 2009 J. M. Harding Award for Excellence for efficient and innovative energy use to Gallup of Omaha. The District has presented the award to one of its commercial or industrial customers annually since 1984.

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OPPD Nuclear Station Earns National Award

The Omaha Public Power District has gained national prominence as innovations developed by its employees have earned a top nuclear award. Employees at OPPD’s Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station were awarded the B. Ralph Sylvia Best of the Best Award by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). The award is one of the most prestigious in the nuclear energy industry. The station was cited for developing a method to accurately assess the susceptibility of stainless steel and other alloys to a condition called stress corrosion cracking. Untreated, stress corrosion cracking can weaken piping and other components in a nuclear plant.

The Omaha Public Power District has gained national prominence as innovations developed by its employees have earned a top nuclear award.
Employees at OPPD’s Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station were awarded the B. Ralph Sylvia Best of the Best Award by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). The award is one of the most prestigious in the nuclear energy industry. The station was cited for developing a method to accurately assess the susceptibility of stainless steel and other alloys to a condition called stress corrosion cracking. Untreated, stress corrosion cracking can weaken piping and other components in a nuclear plant.

The process has saved OPPD customers $7 million already. “The team at Fort Calhoun developed a very important diagnostic tool that will improve safety and efficiency across the entire nuclear energy industry,” said Tony Pietrangelo, NEI senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.In its announcement, NEI said by creatively using eddy current testing to accurately project the start of stress corrosion cracking, “the Fort Calhoun team has helped avoid the unnecessary replacement of expensive plant components, saving money and significantly reducing radiation exposure to project teams.”

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Date Change for OPPD Board June Meeting

The Omaha Public Power District is advising customers that the OPPD Board of Directors will hold its June 2009 board meeting on a different date than normally scheduled.

The board’s monthly meeting will be held Thursday, June 4, at 10:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the district’s corporate headquarters. The corporate headquarters are located at Energy Plaza, 444 South 16th Street Mall, Omaha, NE. OPPD board meetings are normally held the first Thursday after the tenth of each month at 10 a.m.

The June committee meetings for the board will also be held earlier than usual. They will be held on Tuesday, June 2, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Energy Plaza.

All board meetings are open to the public.

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OPPD Rewinds for More Power

May 14, 2009

Rewind doesn’t always mean go backwards. In this case, rewind means going forward as the Omaha Public Power District moves to increase the amount of carbon-free electricity it generates. Today, OPPD Directors authorized a contract that will provide equipment and installation services to upgrade part of the main generator at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station. The improvements are part of a project that will enable the plant to generate about 75 thousand additional kilowatts of power.

A generator creates electricity with the use of wiring wound around a rotor and stators. OPPD will be able to generate more power, in part, with different stators and wiring that has been wound differently, in a rewind. The contract approved today will go to General Electric International of Connecticut for $13,275,950.

The Board also received congratulations today from J.D. Power & Associates for finishing first in a new survey of business customers.

In other action at its monthly meeting, the Board:

• authorized management to negotiate and enter into contracts to purchase four new reactor coolant pump motors from Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) of Switzerland for not more than $4 million total.
• approved Engineer’s Certification and the purchase of a used replacement substation transformer from Sunbelt Transformer of Temple, Texas, for $194,450.
• approved Engineer’s Certification and authorized management to negotiate and enter into a contract for valve services needed for the 2009 refueling outage at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station.
• approved exchanging 0.22 acres of Arbor Line railroad right of way for a 0.22 acre tract of land adjacent to new railroad staging tracks at Nebraska City Station.

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High-Wire Helicopter Maintenance Act Ready to Take Flight

Residents throughout certain portions of eastern Nebraska will soon notice something they are not accustomed to seeing. They will be seeing helicopters flying over their communities.

For approximately the next ten weeks, these helicopters will be transporting crews who are doing maintenance work on transmission towers belonging to the Omaha Public Power District. Personnel for Haverfield Aviation of Pennsylvania will be replacing what are called “knee braces” on more than 1,100 transmission towers stretching from near Sioux City, Iowa, to the Kansas-Missouri border at Rulo, Nebraska. These H-frame structures hold transmission lines that carry up to 345,000 volts of electricity. The braces are used to support the cross arms on these structures.

Residents who live in the Nebraska City area will be the first to see the helicopters as maintenance workers are scheduled to begin near Nebraska City the first full week of May weather permitting. Crews will then move south toward the Kansas border before beginning the northern half of the project as the schedule progresses. The crews will take approximately 15 minutes on each transmission structure replacing two knee braces per structure. Use of the helicopters will allow the replacement work to be done quickly and more efficiently while also allowing the transmission lines to remain energized.

OPPD says the replacement work is necessary because the old knee braces which are made from wood are deteriorating. The new braces will be steel. Property owners who own land near the transmission lines and local law enforcement have been notified of the project.

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OPPD Teams With Communities on Trees

April 24, 2009

The District has spent about a million dollars on the program since its inception in 1990 and finds it helps educate on how trees and power lines can co-exist . The projects must promote energy efficiency and/or beautification, must be located on public property and cannot exceed $2,500.

The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized OPPD as a Tree Line USA utility. That program promotes efforts to combine reliable electric service with healthy trees in our cities and villages.

At a special ceremony marking Arbor Day today, OPPD representatives handed recipients certificates noting the award of their grants.

The following received 2009 Tree Promotion Program grants:

Hogan's Junior Golf Heroes-The First Tee Omaha

Fourth Grade Foresters USA

City Sprouts, Inc

All Our Kids, Inc

Weeping Water 4-H Whiz Kids

Duchesne Academy
Gretna High School, Gretna

Beaver Lake Association, Beaver Lake

Bryan Middle School

Babe Gomez Heritage Elementary

Holy Ghost School & Men's Club

Westside Community Schools/Swanson Elementary Community Club
American Legion Auxiliary #58, Valley

Joslyn Castle Trust

Nebraska Christian College, Papillion

Pro Sanctity Youth Retreat Center
& Camp Fun & Faith

GFWC Papillion Junior Woman's Club

Metcalfe-Harrison Neighborhood Assoc.

RePlant Woodcliff, Woodcliff Lakes

Metro Omaha Builders Association

Metropolitan Community College

Bellevue Rod & Gun Club, Bellevue
Washington Co (Court House), Blair

Greater Omaha Chamber Foundation

Prospect Hill Cemetery Historical Site Development

Midtown Neighborhood Alliance

Grace University

City of Fort Calhoun Parks

Village of Cook

Neighborhood Action & Fact Assoc. of Omaha(NAFA)

Fire Ridge Home Owners Association, Inc

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Helicopter to Work on OPPD Transmission Towers

April 16, 2009

Knee braces are usually associated with athletics. They are seen as effective way to protect an athlete’s ability to keep running by supporting and preventing injury to an athlete’s knees. Knee braces serve a slightly different purpose for electric utilities but are still aimed at keeping things running smoothly and reliably.

The Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors has approved plans to replace what are called knee braces on 1,139 high voltage transmission structures throughout the district’s service territory. The braces are used to support the cross arms on H-frame structures that hold high voltage transmission lines. The new braces will be steel and replace wooden ones that are deteriorating.

The task of replacing these braces is not easy. The transmission lines connected to these H-frame structures carry up to 345,000 volts of electricity. For comparison’s sake, the normal amount of voltage used in a typical household is only 120 volts.

According to the contract the Board approved, the work to replace the braces will be performed from a helicopter while each transmission structure remains energized. The change out will involve the replacement of two knee braces per structure. Owned by OPPD, the structures primarily extend from the Iowa border near Sioux City to the Missouri border at Rulo, Nebraska, and southwest to the Lancaster County Line.

The contract for the work was awarded to Haverfield International Inc. of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for $663,137.35. Work is expected to begin next month.

In other action at its monthly meeting, the Board also:

• awarded contracts in the combined amount of $14,889,700 to provide a portion of the reserve uranium inventory and 2010 requirements for Fort Calhoun Station.
• authorized management to negotiate and enter into a contract to provide repair services for the emergency diesel generator fuel oil tank at Fort Calhoun Station during the 2009 refueling outage.
• awarded a contract to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., of Pullman, Washington, in the amount of $232,656 for the purchase of 12 relay panels for various substations throughout the district.
• authorized management to negotiate a contract for a new low nitrous oxide (NOX) combustion system on the boiler of Nebraska City Station Unit 1.

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OPPD’s CEO Reelected to Nation’s Top Nuclear Industry Board

The Board of Directors for one of the nuclear industry’s most prominent organizations has reelected Omaha Public Power District President and Chief Executive Officer W. Gary Gates as a member. The organization is the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Established in 1979 by the nuclear utility industry, INPO is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to promote the highest level of safety and reliability, and to promote excellence, in the operation of nuclear generating plants. Mr. Gates was among fourteen chief executives and presidents from the nation’s nuclear organizations re-elected to serve on the board for 2009. Elected as chairman of the board was Michael G. Morris, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Constellation Energy Group, Incorporated.

In addition to INPO, Mr. Gates also serves as vice chairman of the board and on the executive committee of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry. NEI is based in Washington D.C. and promotes the beneficial uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technologies in the United States and around the world by participating in both the national and global policy-making process. Mr. Gates also is on the Board of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, an organization dedicated to nuclear power plant safety worldwide.

The Omaha Public Power District owns and operates Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station which is located about twenty miles north of Omaha. There are currently 104 nuclear power plants licensed to operate in the United States which generate about 20% of our nation's electrical energy.

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OPPD Sees (In Lieu of) Tax Bill Increase by Nearly $1 Million

The (in lieu of) tax bill for the Omaha Public Power District jumped by about $1 million over the previous year. OPPD today issued checks totaling a record of almost $21.3 million to counties in its service territory, compared to last year’s amount of $20.3 million.

The in lieu of tax payments are based on the amount of retail sales of electricity within incorporated cities and villages in OPPD’s territory. The payments take the place of property taxes and some other taxes. The District does pay general sales taxes, gasoline taxes, wheel taxes, motor vehicle license fees, and permit fees, like any other business.

The in lieu of tax payments will be distributed to school districts, cities and other entities.

“It is particularly gratifying to contribute this substantial amount of money at a time when the school systems, cities and counties in our area are experiencing great challenges,” said OPPD Board Treasurer N.P. “Sandy” Dodge.

“We are pleased to be able to increase our contribution and at the same time continue to keep OPPD’s rates well below the national average,” said Director Dodge. “By doing so, we are helping to attract new businesses to the area and help existing businesses expand, resulting in jobs and other opportunities for our customers.”

The eleven counties that received payments today and the amounts received are as follows:

• Douglas $17,610,618.49
• Sarpy $2,691,978.23
• Washington $ 460,227.70
• Saunders $204,391.25
• Cass $165,934.65
• Dodge $92,876.50
• Nemaha $29,122.20
• Johnson $11,757.09
• Richardson $10,765.71
• Otoe $3,811.68
• Colfax $3,735.70
• Total $21,285,219.20

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OPPD "Plugs" Into New Technology for Hybrid Vehicles

Two mechanics for the Omaha Public Power District recently got some first-hand knowledge of tomorrow’s technology at the District’s Elkhorn Service Center. Dan Waggoner and Brandon Boekhout were selected to receive two days of hands-on training on how to convert a conventional hybrid vehicle into an electric plug-in hybrid.

A plug-in vehicle can operate on electric power and be recharged by plugging it into any 120-volt outlet. Supporters say the technology helps clean the environment, reduces carbon emissions and can improve fuel efficiency.

“We think it is important that we get experience now with these types of vehicles and look closely at the possible impact this technology will have on our electrical system,” said Marc Nichols, Division Manager of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Stewardship.

“Almost every major manufacturer has announced intentions to begin commercial production of these types of vehicles in the near future, so we are clearly going to be seeing more of these on the road,” said Mr. Nichols.

OPPD becomes the first and only utility in the state with two plug-in hybrids as a part of its fleet. The District obtained its first plug-in several months ago after it hired an outside contractor to do the conversion.

“Learning to do conversions ourselves is much more cost-effective and will shorten our learning curve by giving us a much better handle on things,” said Nichols.

The two-day training session was conducted by Kim Adelman, owner of Plug-In Conversions Corporation based in California, and his associate Carolyn Coquillette. The conversion involved a Toyota Prius, one of the few vehicles that can actually be converted from a hybrid into a plug-in hybrid. Industry observers say a converted Prius is able to run on electricity at speeds up to 35 miles per hour for up to 40 miles between charges.

Two weeks ago, President Obama pushed plans for production of the next generation of plug-in hybrids. He proposed setting aside $2.4 billion in federal grants to aid development. The president said he would like to see one million plug-in hybrids on the nation’s roads by 2015.

Including its two plug-in hybrid vehicles, OPPD has twenty-five hybrid vehicles in its fleet including the state’s first hybrid aerial basket truck.March 31, 2009

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OPPD to Extend Railroad Tracks at North Omaha Station

Longer means cheaper and the Omaha Public Power District knows that is true when it comes to trains hauling coal to its North Omaha Power Station.

The OPPD Board of Directors at its regular monthly meeting Thursday approved a contract to extend and realign the existing railroad tracks at the generating station. The extension and realignment will mean the plant can accommodate longer trains and perform certain required inspections of the district’s empty coal trains. The vote keeps an agreement on a cost reduction on the recent coal transportation contract between the district and Union Pacific Railroad that went into effect January 1.

The District’s transportation agreement with Union Pacific provides for cost reductions if OPPD is able to accommodate longer trains and provide sufficient space for rail car inspection. By agreeing to extend the line, OPPD kept last January’s rate hike lower than it would have been.

North Omaha Station is served by 125-car trains delivering coal about three times a week.

The contract to extend the existing railroad tracks will go to Park Construction Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which submitted the lowest and best bid in the amount of $1,816,228.

In other action, the Board also:

• reviewed and approved the District’s 2008 Health Plan and Annual Report.
• authorized the district’s Chief Financial Officer or his authorized delegates to execute Right-of-Way drafts while decreasing the maximum withdrawal amount.
• authorized management to enter into a contract with Bartlett Nuclear, Inc. of Plymouth, Massachusetts to provide radiation protection, dosimetry and decontamination services to support the 2009 refueling outage at Fort Calhoun Station.
• awarded a contract for $982,140 to Delta Star, Inc. of San Carlos, California, for the purchase and installation of a new transformer at the North Omaha Power Station.
• approved compensation adjustments for Vice President Timothy J. Burke and Vice President Dale F. Widoe.OPPD to extend railroad tracks at North Omaha Station

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OPPD Announces Appointments

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Russell A. Daly has been appointed to the position of Shift Security Supervisor, Nuclear Support Services Division effective March 8. Mr. Daly began his career with OPPD in 2002. He most recently served as a Nuclear Security Officer in the capacity of a Lieutenant.

Donald M. Pier has been appointed to the position of Control Room Supervisor, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Division effective March 22. Mr. Pier most recently served as a Senior Operations Engineer. He began his career with OPPD in 1989.

Barton P. Schawe has been appointed to the position of Control Room Supervisor, Fort Calhoun Station Nuclear Operations Division effective March 22. Mr. Schawe most recently served as a Principal Reactor Engineer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from Kansas State University. He began his career with OPPD in 1995.

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Video Project Could Earn Some "Green" for Area High School Students

Feeling creative?

Feeling like you have a good idea for a short video about energy or the environment that would be both educational and entertaining?

Are you a high school student in southeast Nebraska?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then you are invited to pay a visit to aimgreenomaha.com. Once there, you can enter Project Green Flick. The competition and the new website are sponsored by the Omaha Public Power District.

Project Green Flick, which is in its first year, calls for students to grab a video camera, video cell phone or whatever they have and to put their ideas about energy or the environment on video. Once the video has been shot and edited, participants can go to the website and upload the product of their imaginations. The final video creations can run up to two minutes. The winning student, or team of students, will receive $500, as will their school. Second place winners and school each will receive $250, with $125 each going to the third-place winner and school.

Those wishing to share their videos with the world-at-large have until March 27 to submit their entries. Interested participants can find out more about Project Green Flick, including the rules and regulations, by visiting aimgreenomaha.com and clicking on the heading “Project Green Flick.” Participants must be 13 years of age or older and in grades 9 through 12.

In addition to the video contest, visitors to aimgreenomaha.com will also find information on OPPD’s latest efforts in the area of renewable and sustainable energy, links to various sources for ideas about the environment and planet-friendly information plus various ideas on how to save energy.

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Unique Hybrid Vehicle to Join OPPD Fleet

The Omaha Public Power District is adding another first-in-the-state vehicle to its fleet, one that is designed for higher energy efficiency. The addition is a newly designed hybrid basket truck for use by OPPD line crews.

The new medium duty truck will be assigned to OPPD troubleshooters who are often the first ones on the scene when a power outage occurs. The vehicle represents the latest in hybrid technology. The hybrid basket truck combines a diesel engine with an electric motor and promises increased fuel efficiency and reduced engine emissions.

In November, the District became the first utility in the state to add a plug-in hybrid vehicle to its fleet. One of the main reasons was to see how those vehicles perform in the type of weather experienced by the nation’s heartland, including the cold days of winter.

As is the case with other hybrid vehicles, the basket truck features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery is recharged by the engine when it is running and by a regenerative braking system that kicks in when the vehicle’s brakes are applied or the truck is coasting. The basket truck is mounted on a chassis manufactured by International Truck and Engine Corporation, the first company to begin line production of hybrid commercial trucks. Experts say if everything works out, OPPD’s new basket truck could see fuel savings in the range of 35 to 40 percent.

The method of recharging differs for the hybrid truck from the plug-in vehicle acquired by OPPD earlier in 2008. The plug-in vehicle, a converted Toyota Prius, is recharged by simply plugging into a normal electrical outlet. This will power the vehicle until the battery runs down to a certain level. At that point the gasoline engine takes over until the battery gets re-charged.

A number of automakers say they plan on beginning production of plug-in hybrids by late 2009 or in 2010. Early in 2009, OPPD hopes to acquire a second plug-in hybrid to continue testing the vehicle’s performance, especially in snow and in frigid conditions, and to access the impact such vehicles may have on the District’s system. The two latest hybrid additions bring to 18 the total of hybrid vehicles now in OPPD’s vehicle fleet.

OPPD has long supported electric vehicle technology. This includes co-sponsorship of the Nebraska Power Drive program, an electric vehicle competition for high school students from across the state that was established ten years ago. The other major sponsor is the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD).

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OPPD Plans Power Uprate at Nuclear Plant

By 2013, the Omaha Public Power District will need to increase its baseload power supply to meet continuing growth in customer demand for electricity. That was the message given today to OPPD’s Board of Directors. The baseload power will complement OPPD’s goal of greatly increasing its use of renewable energy to generate electricity. That goal was announced last month.

To meet the growing demand for reliable power, the district’s nuclear plant is undertaking a power uprate project that will add approximately 75 megawatts of carbon-free generation. Engineers say the project represents the lowest-cost option to the district for additional baseload power.

Baseload power is the minimum amount of power that the district delivers -- or is required by customers -- over a given period of time, at a steady rate. Baseload equipment operates around-the-clock, year-round.

Engineers project that significant equipment replacements and upgrades will be needed to implement the project at Fort Calhoun Station, which is located about 20 miles north of Omaha.

Today, the Board voted to authorize management to negotiate and enter into contracts for equipment replacements, necessary upgrades and possible new equipment. The estimated cost of the various contracts is $9,324,000.

Meanwhile, the Board also authorized management to negotiate and award a contract to Invensys Process Systems of Plano, Texas, to replace Fort Calhoun Station’s turbine control system. The contract estimate for replacement of the necessary hardware and software is $2,829,000.

In other action, the Board also:

• authorized the district to issue and sell the 2009 Series A Electric System Revenue Bonds in an amount up to $85 million.
• authorized management to award a contract for $1,626,901 to Southeastern Mechanical Services, Inc. of St. Petersburg, Florida, for removal and replacement of the low temperature superheater in North Omaha Station Unit 1.
  
• approved a compensation adjustment for Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer David J. Bannister.February 12, 2009

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OPPD Announces Appointments

February 9, 2009

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Thomas E. Reilly has been appointed to the position of Field Supervisor – Substation, Engineering Division effective January 25. Mr. Reilly began his career with OPPD in 1981. He most recently served as a Crew Leader in Substation and System Protection.

Jeffrey S. Hartung has been appointed to the position of Field Supervisor, Transmission and Distribution Operations Division effective January 25. Mr. Hartung most recently served as a Working Line Crew Leader. He began his career with OPPD in 1985.

Julie H. Fried has been appointed to the position of Supervisor Manager of Products, Services and Customer Education, Customer Service Operations Division effective February 9. Ms. Fried joins OPPD from Lincoln Financial Corporation where she worked most recently as Vice President of Marketing. She holds a masters degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Santa Clara University.February 9, 2009

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2009 Officers Ready to Lead OPPD Board

The Board of Directors of the Omaha Public Power District has selected its officers for 2009. The Board unanimously elected Fred J. Ulrich as Chairman of the Board, John K. Green as Vice Chairman, N. P. Dodge Jr. as Treasurer and John R. Thompson as Board Secretary. The elections were held during January’s regular business meeting. All officers served in the same positions in 2008.

Mr. Fred J. Ulrich, who represents the South Subdivision, was first appointed to the Board of Directors in February 1986 and was then elected to the board the following November. He previously served as Chairman of the Board in 1990 and 1991. He has also served previously as Vice Chairman, Board Secretary and Treasurer.

Mr. Ulrich is a farmer and cattle feeder based near Louisville, Nebraska. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He is a former member of the Cass County Planning and Zoning Commission. Mr. Ulrich has served on the Parish Council of the Church of the Holy Spirit and is on the boards of directors of the Producers Livestock Marketing Association and Producers Livestock Credit Corporation. He is a member of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, and he is the 4-H Leader for the Bridle and Saddle 4-H Club.

In 1982, Mr. Ulrich was honored as the Jaycee Farmer of the Year and received the Young Farmer Conservation Award from the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District and Lincoln Chamber of Commerce in 1983.

In 1995, the Fred and Diane Ulrich family was named the Farm Family of the Year at the Cass County King Korn Carnival. In 1999, the Plattsmouth Kiwanis named the Ulrich family the Farm Family of the Year.

Mr. Ulrich and his wife Diane have four children and seven grandchildren.

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

Mr. Green holds bachelor's and law degrees from Creighton University, and he once 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. His colleagues elected him Secretary of the Board the previous two years. 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, Omaha Police Foundation Board, the Chancellor’s Advisory Council – University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Nebraska Economic Development Commission.

His past memberships include 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 36 year member of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and has served on various land planning boards. He is co-chair of the Parent Television Council.

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), ComCruDesFlot 9, Seventh Fleet, from which he was honorably discharged.

Mr. Thompson and his wife of 37 years, Monie (Hokanson) Thompson, have two sons, E. Grant and Adam R.

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OPPD Substantially Increases Goals for Renewable Energy

The Omaha Public Power District today announced a major initiative to significantly increase the amount of renewable energy used to generate electricity to serve its customers. The utility anticipates that a substantial portion of that will come from wind. At the same time, the District will vigorously pursue efforts to reduce the demand on its system through energy-efficiency programs offered to customers. Officials say the two actions could delay the need for a new generating plant for more than ten years.

Appearing at a news conference alongside Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and OPPD Board Chairman Fred J. Ulrich, OPPD President and CEO W. Gary Gates announced that the District has set a target of 10% of the electricity provided by the utility to its customers being produced by renewable resources by the year 2020. Gates said that means adding approximately 400 megawatts of renewable energy to OPPD’s portfolio of power. Around 118 megawatts of that will come in the next two years in the form of additional wind generation, 38 of which already is on order.

“We do not know that all of our new renewable additions will be wind, but it is safe to say that wind energy will play an important role for us in the future,” Mr. Gates said.

OPPD currently has or is contracted for about 55 megawatts of renewable wind and landfill gas generation at its disposal.

“Renewable energy has been of particular interest for us over the years,” said Board Chairman Ulrich.

Mr. Ulrich added, “We have consistently believed the time would come when technological improvements would produce cost reductions, making renewable energy more affordable and feasible. It appears that time is upon us.”

Both officials said among the factors making today’s announcement possible were changes in state law, such as passage of the Community-Based Energy Development (CBED) legislation by the Nebraska Unicameral, which has made it attractive for private groups to develop renewable energy projects. That has helped make renewable energy more cost-competitive.

While adding megawatts to the system, OPPD also intends to subtract them, too. Mr. Gates said OPPD will work to reduce the use of electricity by its customers by 50 megawatts by the end of 2012. OPPD plans to offer a variety of energy-efficiency programs to reach that target. OPPD’s Sustainable Energy and Environmental Stewardship Division is developing and coordinating those programs.

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OPPD Announces Appointments

The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments:

Russell L. Plott has been appointed to the position of Supervisor Procedures Maintenance Group, Nuclear Support Services Division effective January 11, 2009. Mr. Plott began his career with OPPD in 1986. He most recently served as a Nuclear Engineering Technical Specialist. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska – Omaha.

Scott D. Schaefer has been appointed to the position of Supervisor Mechanical Projects, Central Maintenance, Production Operations Division effective January 11. Mr. Schaefer began his career with OPPD in 1981 and most recently served as a Steamfitter Mechanic.

James J. Stevens has been appointed to the position of Manager, Planning and Administration, Customer Sales and Service Division effective January 25. Mr. Stevens most recently served as a Senior Financial Analyst. He joined OPPD in 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a master’s degree in Finance and Economics also from UNO.

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OPPD Prepares for 2009 Refueling Outage

Although it may be just under eleven months away, the 2009 Refueling and Maintenance Outage scheduled for Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station occupied the Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors today. At their monthly meeting, Directors approved two measures to help keep the plant running safely and reliably in the future.

The Board authorized management to negotiate and enter into contracts to provide the necessary materials and services for the main generator and exciter inspection at the plant and to make any needed repairs during the upcoming outage. The estimated cost for the services is $1,300,000.

The Board also gave management authorization to negotiate and enter into contracts to replace the main steam line expansion bellows and sections of the main feedwater piping at Fort Calhoun Station. Estimated cost of the services is $600,000.

The refueling outage at Fort Calhoun Station is scheduled to begin this fall. The plant routinely shuts down every 18 months to refuel and to allow personnel to perform preventative maintenance to ensure the facility continues to perform safely at peak efficiency.

In other action, the Board also:

• authorized management to proceed with preparations to sell up to $85 million of the 2009 Series A Electric System Revenue bonds on a negotiated basis.
• approved the Pledged Securities or Surety Bond covering the District’s account balances held at financial institutions.
• approved a compensation adjustment for Vice President Adrian J. Minks.
• approved the 2009 Standing Committee assignments for the Board of Directors.

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