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News Releases
OPPD Sees Post-Storm Challenges, Opportunities - 08/01/08 OPPD Announces Appointments - 07/25/08 OPPD Wins Eighth Consecutive J.D. Power Award - 07/18/08 Board Meeting Summary
OPPD Reminds Customers to be Leery of Scam Artists - 07/15/08
OPPD Announces Time Change for July Board Meeting - 06/26/08
Board Meeting Summary Board Meeting Summary OPPD's CEO To Be Among Leaders on Nation's Nuclear Policy - 5/14/08 Fort Calhoun Station Earns Top Industry Award - 5/07/08 OPPD Announces Appointments- 04/23/08 NatureWorks Latest to Earn Energy Award from OPPD -4/21/08Fort Calhoun 2008 Refueling Outage Begins - 4/21/08 Board Meeting Summary
OPPD Announces Appointments - 04/16/08 Ten Years and Still Going Strong - 04/04/08 OPPD to Unveil New Energy Saving Program - 04/02/08 OPPD Payments to Counties to Break Record ... Again - 04/01/08 Deadline Extended for OPPD Tree Program Applications - 03/13/08
Board Meeting Summary OPPD Announces Appointments - 02/29/08 OPPD Announces Appointments - 02/26/08 OPPD Announces Bannister New Vice President - 02/20/08 OPPD Announces Appointments - 02/19/08
Board Meeting Summary OPPD Receives New Bond Rating - 02/07/08 OPPD to Add Hybrid Truck, Plug-In Vehicles to its Fleet - 02/01/08 Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station Sets Records - 01/22/08 OPPD Seeks New Applications for Tree Promotion Program - 01/21/08 OPPD Board Selects 2008 Officers - 01/21/08 OPPD Names McCormick New Manager of New Division - 01/17/08 OPPD Approves Land Swap with Medical Center - 01/17/08 OPPD Announces Appointments - 01/16/08 OPPD Announces Appointments - 01/03/08 OPPD Announces Appointments - 12/21/07 Board Meeting SummaryOPPD Approves 2008 Corporate Operating Plan - 12/13/07
The proposal would substantially increase the district’s wind energy resources. OPPD currently owns its own wind turbine with the capacity of 0.66 MW and has a power purchase agreement for 10 MW from a wind farm near Ainsworth, Nebraska. “Our customers have told us they would like to see us produce more electricity from renewable resources like the wind,” said OPPD President and CEO Gary Gates. “We are working to make that happen with this RFP.” OPPD was instrumental in a four-year study of Nebraska’s wind potential and supported new Nebraska legislation that gives communities the ability to partner with wind developers. These community partnerships can take advantage of federal tax credits for wind energy that are unavailable to public power districts like OPPD. “Public power has a disadvantage because of the way the federal government subsidizes renewable energy,” said Mr. Gates. “By entering into contracts like this, we hope we can provide the renewable energy our customers want at prices they can afford.” OPPD hopes it can enter into one or more of the power purchase agreements by April 1, 2009. OPPD Prepares New Bond Issue to Total over $100 Million August 14, 2008 Investors will soon have a new opportunity to purchase revenue bonds to be issued by the Omaha Public Power District. The bonds will be used primarily to raise funds for capital expenditures incurred this year. The Board of Directors today approved authorization for senior management to proceed with preparation to sell up to $105 million of the 2008 Series A Electric System Revenue Bonds on a negotiated basis. The issuance will raise funds for capital expenditures called for in the District’s 2008 Corporate Operating Plan. The 2008 Series A Bonds will be sold on a negotiated basis through a group of local and national investment managers and will emphasize the retail market with specific attention to Nebraska and Midwest investors. At the same time, the Board approved a contract for the construction and replacement of an Arbor Line Bridge to be used for increased coal transportation by rail to the Nebraska City Station. Located northwest of the Highway 2 Bridge over the Missouri River, this Arbor Line bridge was reconstructed in 1926 and last saw improvements in 1967. Coal traffic over the bridge is already carrying maximum loads. Those loads will increase when Nebraska City Station Unit 2 becomes operational in 2009. To build a replacement bridge, the Board approved a contract with L.G. Barcus and Sons, Inc., of Kansas City, Kansas, for $1,775,507. In other action, the Board also:
Fort Calhoun Station Siren Test Set for August 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 20, 2008. 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 10:00 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 generating plant. The test is conducted to ensure the system is working properly. If an event were to occur, the sirens would sound to signal the public that people should tune to the local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio station for official information and instructions. The designated EAS radio station in this area and primary source of information from Nebraska and Iowa authorities is KFAB, 1110 on the AM dial. Anyone noticing a siren malfunction during the test on Wednesday, August 20, 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. Nebraska City Plant Passes Milestones August 8, 2008 Construction on Omaha Public Power District’s newest power plant has passed two major milestones. The latest was the energizing on July 31 of the 345,000 Volt power line that runs from the plant’s substation near Nebraska City to a substation in Lincoln. The nearly 50-mile-long line is needed to deliver power from the new plant, much of it purchased on long term contracts by utilities west of Lincoln. Meanwhile, work on the plant itself has reached the 93 percent mark of completion. Startup and testing activities already have started, which will allow OPPD to target a commercial operation date in the spring of 2009. Nebraska City Station Unit 2 is being built to provide electricity to OPPD and seven other public utilities in Nebraska and elsewhere in the midlands. OPPD will own and operate the plant and use half of its 663 Megawatts (million watts) of electrical generation. The other utilities have long-term contracts to purchase the remaining portion of the plant’s generating capacity. The plant is being built by Nebraska City Power Partners, which has over nine hundred workers currently on site. 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. OPPD and Neighborhood Center Look to Save Energy August 6, 2008 The Omaha Public Power District and the Neighborhood Center last night announced a program aimed at conserving energy and saving money for residents. The Energy Efficient Neighborhood/Community Designation will be given to neighborhoods or communities whose residents reduce their energy use by installing new technology or changing how they use energy. The program was announced at a special launch at the Morton Meadows neighborhood annual picnic Tuesday night. Morton Meadows will be the first to try to attain the designation by cutting its energy use by 25 percent. That size reduction would save residents over a half-million dollars each year and also prevent 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. A pilot study of Morton Meadows conducted by the Neighborhood Center last year found that simple home improvements could reduce energy use by 25 percent in most neighborhood homes. Those improvements include proper insulation and properly sealing the home and its ducts. Morton Meadows residents came together to develop a Neighborhood Energy Action Plan (available at www.unomaha.edu/energysavers). The plan includes an education and outreach campaign for wise energy use and working with businesses to receive bulk discounts on energy-efficient products and home improvements. Residents will need to document the energy-efficiency changes they make in their homes. Morton Meadows will be the first neighborhood to try for the designation. Morton Meadows is located between Leavenworth and Center Streets, 42nd to Saddle Creek. There are three levels of efficiency a neighborhood or community can attain; silver, gold and platinum. If the neighborhood or community meets the criteria for any of the levels, OPPD and the Neighborhood Center will designate it an Energy Efficient Neighborhood or Community. Other neighborhoods and communities in OPPD’s service area are encouraged to apply to become an Energy Efficient Neighborhood or Community by contacting Garry Ruliffson at OPPD at 402-636-3735. The Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program is supported by the Neighborhood Center, with funding from OPPD as part of its Sustainable Energy initiative, and administrative support from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Neighborhood Center is a community-based, neighborhood-driven organization administered by the University of Nebraska at Omaha. OPPD Sees Post-Storm Challenges, OpportunitiesAugust 1, 2008 While the electricity is back to homes and businesses following the June 27 storm, Omaha Public Power District workers have a number of tasks yet to be accomplished to get its system back to normal. One of those is checking, repairing and replacing hundreds of street lights damaged by the winds. Additional crews have been hired to assist OPPD street lighting employees, who have been working 60 hour weeks to bring light back to a number of streets. Since the storm, crews have repaired or replaced nearly 1,600 street lights. Much work remains, but managers estimate the streetlights damaged by the storm will be repaired by the end of September. Other work includes replacing temporary repairs that were put in place during the storm to make them permanent. These repairs would include poles that were badly damaged and had to be stubbed. That is where workers place and secure a new pole adjacent to a damaged pole and return later to retrieve the damaged pole. Badly leaning poles might need to be straightened, wire restrung, and hardware replaced and repaired that was damaged but did not fail. OPPD is planning on calling in additional contractors to help with all of this work, which will free up its workers to handle scheduled and emerging work. Many of the damaged street lights were damaged by falling trees. Reports indicate the high winds severely damaged the tree canopy in the area. If there is a silver lining to this, OPPD sees an opportunity for homeowners to replace felled trees with ones that will not only provide shade and beauty, but also keep power in neighborhoods more reliable. Tree limbs are one of the major reasons for outages and electrical service interruptions each year. With the right tree in the right place, the impact of a wind storm on electrical service can be greatly reduced. Additionally, tree limbs growing into overhead lines can create dangerous conditions for people on the ground. OPPD has a number of recommendations on planting in an area where there are overhead power lines. First of all, no tree should be planted directly under a power line. If planting within ten feet of a power line, residents should plant trees that mature at a height of less than 30 feet… such as Dwarf Fruit trees, Redbud, Dogwood or Crab Apple trees. If the distance is 25 feet to 50 feet from a power line, trees that mature to a height up to 45 feet are recommended. This includes trees such as Russian Olive, Black Hills Spruce or Ornamental Pear trees. Taller trees should be planted at least 50 feet from power lines. This includes such trees as Red or Sugar Maple, Oak, Hackberry and Pine. Residents should also be careful when it comes to planting large flowering shrubs which should also be located a safe distance from power lines. OPPD’s Arboretum, located near 108th and Blondo in Omaha, can show homeowners and landlords which trees work best in which locations. More information on the proper planting of trees and the types of trees that work best near power lines can be found at OPPD’s website. Other available material online includes information on OPPD’s tree trimming practices, tree promotion program, tree growth regulators and links to related web sites. Before digging a hole to plants or shrubs, customers must call Diggers Hotline of Nebraska (344-3565 in the metropolitan area, 1-800-331-5666 statewide). OPPD Announces Appointments July 25, 2008
The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments: Michael W. Shaw has been appointed to the position of Shift Supervisor, Production Operations Division effective July 13. Mr. Shaw joined OPPD in 1984. He most recently served as a Unit Operator. He holds an associates degree in Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning from Southeast Community College in Milford. Roger D. Garfoot has been appointed to the position of Supervisor Projects, Information Technology Division effective July 13. Mr. Garfoot first joined OPPD in 1989 and most recently served as a Software Engineer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University, as well a master’s degree in Business Administration and one in Computer Science both from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing and information services firm based in California, released the results of its 2008 Electric Utility Customer Satisfaction StudySM yesterday. In announcing its findings, the firm says the study ranked OPPD “highest among midsize utility companies in the Midwest.” The firm defined midsize utilities as those serving between 125,000 and 499,999 residential customers. The study is conducted annually and measures customer satisfaction with electric utility companies by examining six key factors. The factors include power quality and reliability, price and value, billing and payment, corporate citizenship, public communications and image and customer service. “We truly appreciate this recognition from our customers and from J.D. Power and Associates,” said OPPD President Gary Gates. “As a company, we continually try to provide our customers with a reliable product as affordably as possible, and our employees work very hard to make that possible. At the same time, our efforts are aided by great support from our customer-owners, and we’re thankful for that support. “It’s very gratifying to win one J.D. Power and Associates Award for customer satisfaction, let alone eight of them in a row,” added Mr. Gates. “Awards aside, however, our corporate goal remains the same: to exceed customer expectations. We’ll continue to focus on that and work to do that every day.” added Mr. Gates. Mr. Gates said he wished to congratulate each of OPPD’s employees for their role in achieving J.D. Power’s highest ranking for the eighth year in a row. “This just doesn’t happen without employees who care about doing a good job for their customers,” he said. The satisfaction study is based on telephone interviews with more than 35,000 residential customers of the 120 largest utilities across the continental United States. The interviews were conducted between March and the end of May of this year. This is the tenth year for the national survey conducted by the California-based marketing firm.
July 18, 2008 As a result, the cost of the contracts disappointed officials. The Board approved contracts with Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to transport coal from mines in Wyoming to OPPD’s Nebraska City Power Station and North Omaha Power Station. Contracts also were approved with Rio Tinto Energy America of Gillette, Wyoming, and Arch Coal of St. Louis, Missouri. Both companies will supply coal from their mines in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. The District will be using more coal during this five-year contract due to the opening next spring of an additional generating station at its Nebraska City location. Costs are higher, but it isn’t yet possible to determine the total impact of the contracts since coal mine operators submitted bids for less than one-sixth of the coal OPPD needs over the next five years. That will make planning difficult as the utility still needs to make additional deals to buy the rest of the coal it needs. The new contract follows the trend of transportation contracts that allows the cost of the coal delivery to escalate should the cost increase for the diesel fuel that powers the trains. That clause has now become standard in the industry, but it was not a provision of the existing transportation agreement. That helped shield OPPD customer-owners from higher transportation costs during the current five-year contract as gasoline and diesel prices skyrocketed. As part of the coal supply and transportation package of agreements, a contract was also awarded today to Kelly-Hill Company, of Kansas City, Missouri, for maintenance of the OPPD-owned rail line between Nebraska City and Lincoln. In other action, the Board:
July 15, 2008 The Omaha Public Power District is once again advising residential customers to be careful should they receive telephone calls from individuals who claim to be OPPD employees and demand the customers’ credit card information, social security number or other personal information over the telephone. Two such incidents have happened recently. OPPD wants to remind its customers that the district does not make such calls or consider them acceptable business practice. In many of these cases, the individuals making the calls usually threaten customers with discontinuation of service unless they divulge the requested information immediately or offer to pay them in cash. Customers are reminded that they should never give out private or personal information to strangers making unsolicited telephones. If a customer has a question, that customer should always call OPPD first before giving anything out over the telephone. OPPD Announces Time Change for July Board Meeting June 26, 2008 The Omaha Public Power District has announced that the OPPD Board of Directors will hold its July 2008 board meeting at a different time than normally scheduled. The board’s monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the district’s corporate headquarters. The corporate headquarters are located at Energy Plaza, 444 South 16th Street Mall in Omaha. Normally, OPPD board meetings are held the first Thursday after the tenth of each month at 10 a.m. OPPD 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. All board meetings are open to the public. The plant was taken off line April 19. During the outage, about one third of the fuel assemblies in the reactor core were replaced. The new fuel assemblies will remain in the reactor for approximately four and a half years. In all, OPPD plant personnel and other employees performed hundreds of activities with supplemental workers from outside companies assisting. In all, around 1,300 workers took part in nearly 10,000 activities and tasks during the outage. Besides refueling the plant, workers conducted numerous tests and performed preventive maintenance on plant equipment and instrumentation to ensure the plant continues to perform safely at peak efficiency. Workers also inspected the plant’s steam generators installed in 2006 as well as the steam turbine used by the plant to generate electricity. When operating, Fort Calhoun Station generates approximately 500 million watts of emission-free power. The Omaha Public Power District serves nearly 340-thousand retail customers, the most of any utility in Nebraska. New Nuclear Site Vice President to Be Familiar Face
June 26, 2008
Mr. Reinhart is familiar with Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station and his position, having served as site director while on loan from INPO in 2006 and 2007. He and his family will be moving from Georgia. Mr. Reinhart holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and retired from the Naval Reserve after 20 years of service.
Area Organizations Celebrate Receiving OPPD Tree Grants As part of its Tree Promotion Program, OPPD annually sponsors a limited number of projects throughout the district’s 13-county service territory. The projects must promote energy efficiency and/or beautification, and they must be located on public property. Maximum funding for a project is $2,500. To qualify for a sponsorship, applicants must submit an application complete with a planting plan that meets program guidelines. The program is open to community groups, schools, nonprofit organizations and service clubs. Those recently selected for this year’s sponsorships have been notified by mail. The winning applicants include the following:
OPPD Announces Appointments
June 16, 2008 Shawn D. Mossburg has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Information Technology Operations and Client Services, Information Technology Division, effective June 15. Mr. Mossburg began his career with OPPD in 2001. He most recently served as Supervisor of Client Technical Services. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Donna K. Guinn has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Regulatory Compliance, Nuclear Licensing Division, effective June 15. Ms. Guinn joined OPPD in 1987. She most recently served as Station Licensing Engineer. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Michael A. Fitzpatrick has been appointed to the position of Manager of EMS Operations, System Planning and Work Management Division, effective June 15. Mr. Fitzpatrick most recently served as Supervisor of EMS Operations. Mr. Fitzpatrick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University. Joseph K. Gasper has been appointed to the position of Manager of Design Engineering Nuclear, Nuclear Engineering Division, effective June 15. Dr. Gasper holds a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering as well as a Ph.D. from Iowa State University. He also holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He began his career with OPPD in 1974. He most recently served as Interim Manager of Design Engineering. Previously, he served as Manager of Major Projects. Bill R. Hansher has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Nuclear Licensing, Nuclear Licensing Division effective June 29. Mr. Hansher most recently served as a Lead Nuclear Review Specialist. He began his career with OPPD in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Nyla O. Cork has been appointed to the position of Manager of Compensation & Benefits, Human Resources Division effective June 30. Ms. Cork holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Master degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She joins OPPD with approximately 22 years of compensation and benefits work experience. Lighting the Way to Cool Summer Savings June 5, 2008 Summer starts officially June 21 but air conditioners have already been humming for several days. Customers annually check with utilities for tips on cutting down their summer electric bill. This year, Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) has taken an extra step to saving them money as they save energy. In the month just ended, OPPD sent $3 coupons to each of approximately 300,000 residential customers to cut the price of a multi-pack of EnergyStar®- rated compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). The coupons came with the monthly bills. Switching to CFLs has a double-savings effect in the summer. Compact fluorescent lights use up to 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb. An incandescent light wastes much of its energy by heating the tungsten filament to a white hot temperature. The heat created by this process stays in the home and must be removed by the home’s air conditioner and heat pump. That’s extra electricity that needn’t be used if a home is lit with CFLs. “Gas prices have shot up and everyone is concerned about energy costs,” noted OPPD President and CEO Gary Gates. “You may not be able to control the price at the pumps, but we think the discount CFL program is an easy and effective way to start taking control of your home electricity costs.” The coupons are valid at participating retailers through the end of June, so customers will be able to install their CFLs in time for the summer heat. Participating retailers are listed on the coupons. OPPD offices also have a supply of the coupons. Other summer energy-saving tips include:
With existing contracts for coal supply, rail transportation and track maintenance scheduled to expire at the end of this year, the Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors today voted to authorize senior management to request final proposals for new contracts. The board voted to set a deadline of June 30, 2008, for interested vendors to submit final proposals. No information submitted after that date will be considered in the final contract award process. The district is seeking bids for coal supply and transportation of coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming as well as the operation and maintenance of the district’s track systems. The district has coal-fired generating stations in North Omaha and just south of Nebraska City. The coal supply and transportation contracts were last awarded in July 2003. The total value of those contracts was almost $246-million. The board will consider awarding the new contracts at its regular board meeting in July. In other action, the board also:
Date Change for OPPD Board June Meeting
May 30, 2008 The board’s monthly meeting will be held Thursday on June 5 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 in Omaha. Normally, OPPD board meetings are held the first Thursday after the tenth of each month at 10 a.m.
OPPD Announces Appointments The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments: Stacy R. Gasson has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Customer Care Services, Customer Operations Division effective May 4. Ms. Gasson began her career with OPPD in 2005. She most recently served as a Customer Care Specialist. She holds both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Bernard Wright has been appointed to the position of Shift Security Supervisor, Nuclear Support Services Division effective April 20. Mr. Wright most recently served as a Lieutenant. He began his career with OPPD in 1995. He holds a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in Management and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice.
Board Meeting Summary May 15, 2008 When major storms knock out power, you need a plan. In the case of a utility like the Omaha Public Power District, that plan must make the right resources available if it is to get the lights back on to restore service as quickly as possible. The OPPD Board of Directors took action today to guarantee the district will continue to have those additional resources if it needs them. The Board approved a contract for more than one million dollars to provide what is called strategic alliance support as well as supplemental transmission and distribution labor. This includes guaranteed workers and equipment for storm restoration in the event of a major system outage. It also provides the necessary labor to install, refurbish and maintain overhead electrical distribution and transmission facilities throughout the district’s 13-county service territory. The new contract of $1,032,570.20 is with the L.E. Myers Company of Marshalltown, Iowa. The Board also took action to procure the necessary labor to ensure the district continues to meet or exceed its service guarantees for street light maintenance and installation of new underground house services. The Board voted to award a contract to MidCon Underground Construction, Incorporated, of Denton, Nebraska. The contract for $488,627.50 includes street light cable replacement, drilling of concrete bases and installation of new house services. In other action, the board also:
May 14, 2008 For the first time in three decades, the United States is seeing renewed interest in nuclear energy. As that debate moves forward, one of those who will be in a key position to offer input into the nation’s policy will be Omaha Public Power District president and chief executive officer W. Gary Gates. Mr. Gates has been re-elected as vice chairman of the board for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry. The organization is based in Washington D.C. NEI promotes the beneficial uses of nuclear energy and technologies in the United States and around the world by participating in both the national and global policy-making process. Mr. Gates also serves on the organization’s key executive committee which sets broad policy for the industry. Executives from all companies that hold licenses to operate nuclear power plants and selected representatives of other companies involved in commercial nuclear technologies are members of the NEI board of directors. Members of the executive committee are selected by their peers to typically serve three-year terms. Officers are elected annually. In addition to re-electing Mr. Gates as vice chairman of the board, members re-elected John Rowe, president and chief executive officer of Exelon Corporation, as chairman. There are currently 104 nuclear power plants licensed to operate in the United States which generate about 20% of our nation's electrical use.
Fort Calhoun Station Earns Top Industry Award When Omaha Public Power District’s Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station began its 2006 Refueling Outage it included a refurbishment project then considered the largest in scope in the history of the nuclear industry. That project was successfully completed five days ahead of schedule and more than $30 million under budget. The planning and execution it took to make that happen has now been recognized by those in the nuclear industry. Fort Calhoun Station has been selected to receive one of the Nuclear Energy Institute’s (NEI) Top Industry Practice or TIP awards for 2008. The awards, considered among the most prestigious in the nuclear industry, were presented during the organization’s annual conference in Chicago on May 6. Fort Calhoun Station was named in the category of Work Management for the 2006 Refueling Outage which saw the replacement of many of the plant’s major components. The TIP awards were established by the Nuclear Energy Institute in 1994 as a means to recognize nuclear energy operators for innovations that improve safety, efficiency, economics or plant performance in thirteen categories – nine involving processes and four vendor awards. NEI is an industry-based organization with more than 300 corporate members. Receiving the award on behalf of OPPD were Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Dave Bannister and Manager of Major Projects Ron Short. In addition to the category of Work Management, won by the employees at Fort Calhoun Station, other selected processes evaluated for awards included: 1. Plant Operation 2. Configuration Management 3. Work Management 4. Equipment Reliability 5. Materials and Services 6. Management Processes and Support Services 7. Loss Prevention 8. Training 9. Fuel NEI notes that it received more than 100 entries for last year’s awards.
NatureWorks Latest to Earn Energy Award from OPPD The Harding Award is given out annually by OPPD to one of its large commercial or industrial customers and is named after the district’s first president, J.M. Harding. NatureWorks began as a research project for Cargill in 1998 to look for new uses of carbohydrates from plants to use as feedstock to produce sustainable plastics. Since then, NatureWorkNas has become a world leader in producing a corn-based cWorommercial resin called polyactide polymer (PLA) which is used to manufacture everything from food packaging to personal care items and even more durable items such as automobile parts and electrical appliance parts. NatureWorks notes that the process used to produce the polymer consumes about 65 percent less fossil energy than hydrocarbon and oil-based polymers and generates 80 to 90 percent less greenhouse gases. The Harding Award was presented by OPPD President Gary Gates during a luncheon today at Omaha’s Hilton Hotel. Mr. Gates praised NatureWorks for its efforts to efficiently use energy at its facility while producing an environmentally-friendly product that is also compostable. “In recent years, we have seen this nation focus more than ever on energy efficiency, developing new sources of energy, conservation and concern for the environment,” said Mr. Gates. “NatureWorks is combining those efforts in an innovative fashion at its facility in Nebraska. They have been a true partner with OPPD.” NatureWorks President and CEO Dennis McGrew called receiving the award a “proud moment.” “Our employees have worked very hard to make sure that we live up daily to the commitment that we have made about environmental responsibility,” said Mr. McGrew. “Efficiency improvements in our operation are critical to long-term success whether it be energy efficiency or efficiency in the use of our raw materials. Both are important to make sure that we have the most cost competitive material in the world.” NatureWorks began producing material at the Blair plant in 2003. The facility was designed to use the latest technology to optimize its energy utilization, such as variable frequency motors to drive the plant’s machinery, energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling, and advanced engineering techniques and processes designed to use the least amount of energy and recover energy as efficiently as possible. In addition to presenting the Harding Award, Mr. Gates also presented two scholarships at today’s luncheon. The scholarships are funded by two events, the luncheon and the Warren R. Swigart Memorial Golf Tournament. One of the students receiving a scholarship was Mr. Dakota M. Kelley who is a sophomore enrolled in the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska. Mr. Kelley is majoring in Architectural Engineering. He holds a grade point average of 3.984. The other scholarship was presented to Ms. Tara J. Ryan. Ms. Ryan is enrolled in the College of Business Administration at Creighton University. She is a sophomore majoring in Management. She holds a 3.79 grade point average.
Fort Calhoun 2008 Refueling Outage Begins
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. In all, plant personnel and numerous other OPPD employees will perform hundreds of activities with supplemental workers from outside companies assisting. In all, around 1,300 workers will take part in nearly 10,000 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. Workers will take the opportunity to inspect the plant’s steam generators installed in 2006. They will also inspect the turbine that uses the steam created by the plant to generate electricity. When operating, Fort Calhoun Station generates approximately 500 million watts of emission-free power. OPPD Acts to Keep Nebraska City Coal Deliveries on Track
April 17, 2008
OPPD Announces Appointments
April 16, 2008
April 4, 2008 It began with twelve high schools mainly in southeast Nebraska. Today those participating come from high schools and colleges from across the state as well as Iowa and even South Dakota. That program is Power Drive® which this year marks a very important milestone… its tenth anniversary. The program is a yearlong competition where schools form teams that construct one-person electric vehicles and then compete against each other in various rallies. The first of those rallies begin this weekend with the Hastings Time Trials at the Motorsports Park in Hastings, Nebraska, this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Motorsports Park is located on East Highway 6. The second event will take place Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska, with the Lincoln Invitational. It will be held at the Lincoln Air Park at 3801 Northwest 34th Street beginning at noon. The two rallies are the first of eight taking place this year, including the state championships which will take place at the Mid-America Motor Complex located near Pacific Junction, Iowa, on May 3 beginning at 9:00 a.m. The state championships include a number of events including a one-hour endurance rally. “We are extremely please to see how this program has grown over the years because of the way that students and teachers have embraced it,” said OPPD President Gary Gates. Power Drive® is co-sponsored by Nebraska’s two largest public utilities, Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska Public Power District. “This program was started to give high school students a hands-on way to apply their studies and to promote interest in automotive, electric and energy technologies and careers. As the country increasingly explores alternate energy and new technologies, programs like this become even more important to our future,” Gates said. More than sixty schools are registered to compete this year. In addition to this weekend’s events, this year’s schedule of rallies is:
All of the events are free and open to the public which is encouraged to attend and to support their teams.
April 2, 2008 When the lights go on at the Omaha Home Show this week, visitors will have the opportunity to see a new energy-saving program unveiled by the Omaha Public Power District.
Deadline Extended for OPPD Tree Program ApplicationsMarch 13, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced that the deadline has been extended for those seeking to apply for sponsorship of a tree planting project through OPPD’s Tree Promotion Program. Groups and organizations wishing to submit an application now have until May 16. As part of its Tree Promotion Program, each year OPPD sponsors a limited number of projects throughout the district’s 13-county service territory. The projects must promote energy efficiency and/or beautification, and they must be located on public property within the district’s 13-county service territory. . The deadline is being extended until May 16 in order to give more interested parties an opportunity to participate. Once the applications are submitted, they will be reviewed by a special in-house committee. Accepted applicants will be notified of preliminary approval by June 2. Maximum funding for a project is $2,500. To qualify for an OPPD Tree Planting Sponsorship, applicants must submit an application complete with a planting plan that meets program guidelines. Those interested may obtain an application and a copy of the guidelines by calling 536-4131 in the metropolitan area and calling 1-877-536-4131 outside the metropolitan area. Applications are also available online.
Board Meeting Summary
OPPD Strengthening Electric Delivery SystemMarch. 13, 2008 - Generating electricity customers require is one thing. However, without a strong and reliable transmission and distribution system, that electricity would not get to customers’ homes and businesses with the kind of consistency they want. Today, the Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors took action to keep the utility’s system performing well by voting to add new lines and to replace and upgrade older ones. In one action, the Board authorized management to enter into a contract with Nielsen Construction of Omaha for $1,122,750 to replace underground cable in existing residential and commercial developments within the territory. The work will be in addition to planned replacements by OPPD workers. A second contract authorized by the board, this one with CRC Contractors, Inc., of Omaha for $453,205, will provide additional labor to supplement District workers in installing new underground lines and other equipment in the power distribution system. The Board also voted to authorize the purchase of a transformer that will take high voltage coming from the District’s power stations and transform it into a lower voltage that can be distributed through neighborhoods. The transformer will be purchased for $913,978 from PanAmerica Supply, Inc., of Houston, Texas. To check on the condition of the District’s wooden power poles, the Board authorized a contract to Pole Maintenance Company, LLC, of Columbus, Nebraska, for $596,583. Also under the contract, the company will reinforce power poles as necessary. In other action, the Board:
OPPD Announces AppointmentsFeb. 29, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments: George F. Barna has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Maintenance, Fort Calhoun Station, Nuclear Asset Management Division effective February 24. Mr. Barna began his career with OPPD in 1987. He most recently served as Supervisor Electrical Planning. Rick E. Gilman has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Maintenance, Fort Calhoun Station, Nuclear Asset Management Division effective February 24. Mr. Gilman most recently served as Senior Production Planner. He began his career with OPPD in 1981. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Bellevue University. Richard R. Ronning has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Maintenance, Fort Calhoun Station, Nuclear Asset Management Division effective February 24. Mr. Ronning holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He began his career with OPPD in 1987. He most recently served as a System Engineer. OPPD Announces Bannister New Vice PresidentFeb. 20, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced the appointment of David J. Bannister as Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer effective February 12. In his new position, Mr. Bannister will have overall responsibility for OPPD’s Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station and ensure that the plant continues to be operated to the highest industry standards of safety and reliability. Mr. Bannister began his career with OPPD in 1983 as an operations training specialist in Fort Calhoun Station’s Technical Department. Since that time he has held a number of important positions at the plant including Instructional Technologist, Shift Technical Advisor, Operations Engineer, Supervisor of Operations, Shift Manager, Manager of Operations and Plant Manager/Division Manager of Nuclear Operations. He most recently served as Site Director at the plant, starting last November. Mr. Bannister is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He is actively involved in the Utilities Services Alliance and is the executive sponsor for the FCS Chapter of the North American Young People in Nuclear. Dave and his wife, Viola, have three children. OPPD Announces AppointmentsFeb. 26, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments: Herbert L. Childs Jr has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Access Authorization, Nuclear Support Services Division effective February 24. Mr. Childs began his career with OPPD in 1986. He most recently served as Senior Nuclear Security Coordinator. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Bellevue University. Benjamin J. Koziel has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Facilities Management and Operation, Facilities Management Division effective March 9. Mr. Koziel most recently served as a Property Management Specialist. He began his career with OPPD in 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from Bellevue University. OPPD Announces Bannister New Vice PresidentFeb. 20, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced the appointment of David J. Bannister as Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer effective February 12. In his new position, Mr. Bannister will have overall responsibility for OPPD’s Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station and ensure that the plant continues to be operated to the highest industry standards of safety and reliability. Mr. Bannister began his career with OPPD in 1983 as an operations training specialist in Fort Calhoun Station’s Technical Department. Since that time he has held a number of important positions at the plant including Instructional Technologist, Shift Technical Advisor, Operations Engineer, Supervisor of Operations, Shift Manager, Manager of Operations and Plant Manager/Division Manager of Nuclear Operations. He most recently served as Site Director at the plant, starting last November. Mr. Bannister is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He is actively involved in the Utilities Services Alliance and is the executive sponsor for the FCS Chapter of the North American Young People in Nuclear. Dave and his wife, Viola, have three children. OPPD Announces AppointmentsFeb. 19, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced the following appointments: Earley G. Smith has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Process Control Systems Support, Production Engineering and Technical Support Division effective January 13. Mr. Smith began his career with OPPD in 1986. He most recently served as a Systems Specialist. Randall B. Cade has been appointed to the position of Manager of Training & Simulator, Nuclear Support Services Division effective January 27. Mr. Cade began his career with OPPD in 1997. He most recently served as an Operations Training Specialist. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State College. Mr. Cade also holds certification as a Senior Reactor Operator. John E. Buckley has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of T&D Maintenance Management, System Planning and Work Management Division effective February 10. Mr. Buckley first joined OPPD in 1998 and most recently served as a Senior Industrial Engineer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Jeffrey A. Karloff has been appointed to the position of Supervisor – Technical at the North Omaha Station effective February 10. Mr. Karloff most recently served as a Senior Production Operations Engineer. He began his career with OPPD in 1987. Mr. Karloff holds a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree all in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska. He also holds a professional engineering license in the State of Nebraska. Patrick W. Prince has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Client Servers and Infrastructure Services, Information Technology Division effective February 10. Mr. Price holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science both from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He began his career with the District in 1989 and most recently served as a System Software Specialist. Leland S. Shubert has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Chemical Services, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Division effective February 10. Mr. Shubert most recently served as a Chemist. He began his career with OPPD in 1997. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Bellevue University. Marlyn P. Anderson has been appointed to the position of Supervisor of Radioactive Waste Operations, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Division effective January 27. Mr. Anderson most recently served as a Health Physicist. He began his career with OPPD in 1981. Carl J. Olsen has been appointed to the position of Manager of HR Compliance, Human Resources Division effective February 24. Mr. Olsen began his career with OPPD in 1984 and most recently served as Pension Administrator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting as well as a Master of Business Administration degree both from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Henry E. Moore has been appointed to the position of Field Supervisor- Subway Construction, Engineering Division effective February 10. He most recently served as a Crew Leader. He began his career with OPPD in 1980.
Board Meeting Summary
Upgrading on OPPD Board AgendaFeb. 14, 2008 - Getting fuel to its power plants and reliable power to customers took most of the attention of the Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors at its monthly meeting today. In one action, the Board authorized the purchase of 285 new aluminum coal cars from FreightCar America of Chicago for $21,479,310. The cars will be needed to bring coal to the new power plant going up near Nebraska City. Construction of the plant is about 60 percent complete with almost all of the material on site and most of the engineering and detailed design work finished. The new plant will provide more than 660 million watts (megawatts) of power to OPPD and seven other public power entities. It is on schedule with a guaranteed completion date of May 1, 2009. In another action, the Board voted to upgrade five miles of high voltage transmission line from a substation at 108th and Blondo St. in Omaha to 140th and State St. The Board authorized management to purchase 42 steel structures to replace wood poles already in place. The contact will be awarded to TransAmerican Power Products, Inc., of Houston, Texas, for $514,140. The Board also appointed Dave Bannister to the position of Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer. In other action, the Board approved the 2008 Standing Committee assignments for itself. OPPD Receives New Bond RatingFeb. 7, 2008 - Moody’s Investor Services has announced that it is upgrading its rating on Omaha Public Power District’s Electric System Revenue Bonds and Electric System Subordinated Revenue Bonds. The international debt rating service based in New York has notified the district that ratings on the utility’s Revenue Bonds will be raised from Aa2 to Aa1 and the rating on its Subordinated Revenue Bonds will be raised from Aa3 to Aa2. “This places OPPD among a very elite group of public power utilities in the nation as one of only four utilities to be given this rating,” said Charles Moriarty, Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer for OPPD. “It indicates that our utility has been able to successfully achieve superior financial results and operating results during a period of substantial construction while maintaining a customer focus.” Mr. Moriarty said the upgraded rating is expected to provide benefits for the District by making it less costly to borrow money and increasing demand for debt issued by the District. Among the reasons cited by the investor service in upgrading OPPD’s bond ratings were the District’s substantial completion of major upgrades to Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station and the near completion of Nebraska City Station Unit 2 while meeting budgeting and scheduling forecasts. The new 663 megawatt (MW) coal-fired generating plant under construction near Nebraska City is currently 60 percent complete and is scheduled to go online next year. The investor service noted the plant upgrades well position OPPD to meet future energy needs at competitive costs. Additional factors for the new rating according to Moody’s included the utility’s relatively The Omaha Public Power District has a total of $1.6 billion in rated debt outstanding. The District joins Orlando Utilities Commission, San Antonio City Utilities and Salt River Public Power Project as the only utilities with an Aa1 rating. OPPD to Add Hybrid Truck, Plug-In Vehicles to its FleetFeb. 1, 2008 - The Omaha Public Power District has announced plans to put its commitment to the environment where the rubber meets the road. The district is buying eleven additional gas/electric hybrid vehicles. The purchase will raise the total number of hybrid vehicles in OPPD’s fleet to 18. For the first time, the order will include a basket truck, newly designed for use by line crews. Additionally, OPPD will convert one of the new vehicles into a “plug-in hybrid” that can be recharged by plugging the vehicle into a standard electric socket when the vehicle is not being used. The vehicle then operates on batteries alone for the first several miles after a recharge. Hybrids combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor to boost gas mileage and reduce emissions. Many analysts expect hybrid technology to proliferate in the coming years, especially in the face of rising gas prices, increasing concern for the environment and higher fuel economy standards mandated by the federal government. The vehicles being purchased by OPPD represent the latest in hybrid technology. All of the hybrids will feature rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries. The battery pack is recharged by the gasoline engine when it is running and by a regenerative braking system that kicks in when the vehicle is coasting or when the brakes are applied. Although, plug-in hybrids are not commercially available today, |