OPPD updates board on new customer portal and advanced metering infrastructure and customer outreach

Omaha Public Power District leaders shared progress across several fronts in presentations shared with its board of directors this week.

Among them was an update on the new MyOPPD customer portal, which helps customers track their energy usage and get regular updates on power outages, and pay their bills, start and stop service, and more. Director of Customer Experience and Operations Matt Hardebeck said approximately 63% of our customers have migrated over to MyOPPD, establishing online accounts.

The utility also debuted a new power outage map last month, as well, as part of the new customer portal. It provides greater detail than the previous outage map, including real-time information about outages throughout our 13-county service territory. The map combines tracking and reporting tools and contains an optional weather overlay to show where storms are hitting. The upgrades, which went into effect last month, are part of OPPD’s larger shift to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Installations on these smart meters has begun, with the devices now attached to more than 2,000 customers’ homes and businesses. They provide faster and more precise outage information and a modern ecosystem that will allow two-way communication between OPPD and individual customer meters.

Presently, OPPD relies heavily on customer reporting to confirm outages and other granular information. The new meters will offer a much more detailed picture, giving us better visibility into outages and their causes for faster response and restoration. Meters will be installed in waves, and we expect to have installations complete in 2028. Customers will receive a notice 90 days prior to when they are scheduled to have a smart meter installed. By January of 2026, OPPD expects to have 11,500 meters installed. Customers may opt out once they receive notice, if they choose.

Utility leaders also shared how OPPD is engaging our customers, community leaders, and elected officials to ensure they have key details about AMI and other key utility projects. Kate Thomas, director of Corporate Marketing & Communication, presented the annual Strategic Directive (SD) 13: Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement monitoring report. She said the utility uses a range of methods to reach out to the public, provide education and listen to feedback. These include in-person – through one-on-one local leader meetings, open houses, and board meetings and online – through OPPD.com, OPPDCommunityConnect, The Wire, and social media, including the recent launch of our Instagram page (along with Facebook, LinkedIn and X [formerly Twitter]). The utility also reaches customers through neighborhood, Government Affairs, and retiree newsletters, Outlets bill inserts, consumer research, direct mail, and email.

In addition, Vice President of Sustainability Cliff Fleener presented the annual SD 7: Environmental Stewardship monitoring report. Fleener reiterated OPPD’s goal of being a net-zero carbon equivalent (CO2e) emitter by 2050. Relative to 2013, OPPD has reduced absolute carbon emissions by 41.6%. In that same time period, OPPD’s load grew by 19%, and its generation has grown substantially, yet the utility achieved a 53% reduction in carbon intensity (measured in metric tons of CO2e/MWh). Over the past decade, OPPD has also substantially reduced regulated air emissions including but not limited to nitrous oxide (NOx)by 51.4%, mercury (Hg) emissions by 90.5%, and sulfur oxides (SOx) by 66.4%.

Fleener also highlighted ways in which the utility is engaged with helping our communities thrive. Among them, the Greener Together program, which provides customers an opportunity to donate to a grant fund for local projects that involve renewable energy, environmental sustainability and/or community betterment or education. Most recently, OPPD presented nearly $72,000 to City Sprouts Community Garden at 40th and Seward streets in Omaha. The funding went a long way to modernize Omaha’s oldest and most visited community garden, improving accessibility and sustainability.

The board accepted the SD-13 and SD-7 monitoring reports at this evening’s monthly board meeting, finding the utility to be sufficiently in compliance with the directives.

A previously scheduled vote on another item -- to reject bids as non-responsive and direct to negotiate a contract for installation of new burners for North Omaha Station Units 4 and 5, to accommodate conversion of those units from coal to natural gas -- was removed from this evening’s agenda. The item was put on hold following a thoughtful discussion at Tuesday’s all-committees meeting to give the board time to further consider the implications of recent developments and to ensure alignment with OPPD’s long-term generation strategy. 

Other actions

In other action, directors:  

• Approved the October 16, 2025, board meeting agenda.
• Approved a request to exceed 2025 Corporate Operating Plan expenditures primarily due to accelerated expenses associated with near-term generation needs, as well as additional expenses to complete Turtle Creek and Standing Bear Lake Stations. In addition, purchased power went over budget due, in large part, to higher purchase volume during unplanned generation unit outages.
• Approved language refinement to Board Staff Linkage Policy 2: Board - Outside General Counsel Relationship.

Next board meetings 

The next all-committees meeting will be held in person Tuesday, November 18, at 10 a.m. at OPPD administrative offices, 1919 Aksarben Dr., and virtually via Webex. The meeting link and instructions will be available at OPPD.com/CommitteeAgenda, beginning at about 9:45 a.m. The next monthly board meeting is Thursday, November 20, at 5 p.m., both in person at the Legislative Chamber of the Omaha Civic Center, 1819 Farnam St., as well as virtually via Webex. Attend virtually via the meeting link and instructions at OPPD.com/BoardAgenda, beginning at 4:45 p.m.