Green Power Program
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 OPPD has made some great strides since entering the renewable energy market in 2003. OPPD began with a 660-kilowatt wind turbine generator, located at Valmont Industries Inc. in Valley, and a $4 million landfill gas-to-energy plant, at the Douglas County Recycling and Disposal Facility near 216th Street and Highway 36.
OPPD has expanded its landfill gas-to-energy plant and entered into a wind farm partnership that will generate another 10 megawatts of green energy.
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The power produced from these energy sources is now available for purchase by OPPD customer-owners.
Here's how it works:
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Subscribers to the rate sign up for a minimum of one year.
- Residential customers can participate at four levels, ranging from an additional cost of $4.50 per month to $30.00 per month.
- Commercial customers also will be able to purchase Green Power at an additional cost of about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Become a Green Power Partner Today!
Green Power Enrollment Form
Landfill Gas Plant
In it’s venture into renewable energy, OPPD is turning waste into watts with a landfill gas plant at the Douglas County landfill. The plant utilizes methane gas, which is given off by decomposing garbage. That gas is captured and used as fuel to power 800-kilowatt internal combustion engine/generator sets. As a result, what would be a waste is put to productive use. Using renewable landfill gases also reduces the consumption of fossil fuels.
The amount of renewable energy produced by OPPD’s landfill gas-fired generating plant is currently about 4.8 million watts. Because of a recent expansion project, the plant will be able to generate as much as 6.4 million watts in the coming years. That is enough "green power" per year to provide electricity for more than 4,000 homes.
Wind Farm
OPPD recently increased its future renewable energy generating capacity with the purchase of 10 megawatts (mw) of wind power from Nebraska Public Power District’s new 60-mw wind farm.
Participation in the NPPD wind energy project is an example of OPPD’s commitment to public power partnerships and emphasizes its goal to support renewable energy projects.
The additional 10 mw of capacity from the wind farm is expected to produce enough electricity to serve approximately 3,100 residential customers.
Wind Turbine
A third way OPPD participates in the renewable energy market is through its wind turbine project, which towers more than 200 feet over the Nebraska countryside. Electricity is produced when wind turns the rotor, which moves the high-speed shaft in the generator. The turbine is expected to produce 1.7-million kWh of electricity annually, enough to power approximately 150 homes.
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OPPD employees and a Valmont representative inspect the main equipment housing of the wind turbine generator.
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The turbine project, a joint venture with Valmont Industries Inc., utilizes a specialized tower and lift prototype - made especially for utility-sized wind turbines - that will help make wind power more economical for utilities.
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Contact Us
For more information, please e-mail awalde@oppd.com
Signup to Become a Green Power Partner!
Green Power Enrollment Form
Area Businesses Support Green Power
Click here to see a list of businesses in our area that support the Green Power Program. (This will take you to the Commercial Products and Services section of this web site.)
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