Power with Purpose
Mission & Values
OPPD mission and core values
OPPD’s mission is to provide affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive electricity. This presentation covers 10 highlights that demonstrate this commitment – all without a general rate increase for customers.
OPPD is guided by three core values:
- We have a PASSION to serve
- We HONOR our communities
- We CARE about each other
These values live at the heart of every project we pursue.
Affordable
Reliable
Environmentally Sensitive
Public Power Promise
OPPD’s public power promise and community investments
The tenets of public power are simple: local control, affordable energy and reliable electrical service. Public power utilities are governed by officials elected by the customers they serve, and do not answer to shareholders hundreds of miles away. Nebraska enjoys some of the most reliable and affordable electric service in the United States.
Throughout our 13-county service territory, customers can find OPPD employees honoring our communities through volunteer work. In 2019 alone, OPPD employees volunteered thousands of hours, focusing on education, basic needs, sustainability and community betterment projects.
OPPD employees volunteer countless hours for community betterment activities.
Emergency Response & Resiliency
We are here for you. We plan for emergency response and to enhance resiliency.
ReliableWe’ve already experienced challenges in 2020 as cases of coronavirus, or COVID-19, continue to impact the nation and our service territory. Our approach is to be calm, cautious and keep the lines of communication open. We have taken steps to protect employees so they can protect your service.
Last year, OPPD employees rallied to protect our facilities during historic flooding. Despite threatening floodwaters, OPPD maintained reliable operations and service to customers. OPPD has been working with the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA to evaluate structures and design plans to protect critical infrastructure.
We continue to work behind the scenes to protect our operations – in the event of new flooding or in the face of COVID-19 – because providing reliable electricity is a responsibility we take very seriously.
We are keenly aware that electric service is essential to everyday life. We are making sure our system remains reliable and is there for customers whenever they need it.
OPPD employees rallied to protect our facilities.
Investments in System Reliability
We are making smart investments to safeguard energy system reliability
ReliableOPPD has implemented several programs that illustrate our commitment to maintain and improve infrastructure and ensure reliability and resiliency for years to come. Including:
- Building transmission lines to support growth.
- Converting nearly 100,000 streetlights to LEDs fixtures in the OPPD service territory and continuing to do so.
- Increasing the budget for tree trimming by an additional $2 million, specifically targeting areas where trees have contributed to a significant number of outages.
- Replacing underground power line cables to reduce outage restoration times.
OPPD employees rallied to protect our facilities.
Battery Storage
We are grateful to have received grant funding to pilot a 1MW battery storage project
Environmentally SensitiveReliableEfforts to strengthen our system also involve new technology.
OPPD competed and was recently awarded a $600,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to help fund a 1MW energy storage project. The pilot will test how battery storage can integrate into OPPD’s system. It will also provide insight on how similar applications could be scaled in the future.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
We’re also installing 10 electric vehicle charging stations at five sites
Environmentally SensitiveReliableOPPD also received a nearly $600,000 grant to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in our service territory. By working to expand the network of charging stations – OPPD is demonstrating our commitment to changing customer needs.
The Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy administered a grant as part of the $12.25 million received from the Volkswagen settlement fund. OPPD received one third of the total grant monies available, which represents the largest award in the state.
Economic Development
We are proud partners in regional economic development
ReliableOPPD’s economic development team partners with our communities and the region to attract new business, retain and expand existing business and foster growth.
Site Selection Magazine has recognized OPPD as a top 10 electric utility. Our work has helped attract marquee names like Google and Facebook, and helped companies like Merck and Veramaris collaborate and grow.
We serve on more than a dozen economic development boards throughout the region and we support a variety of local community needs for site development, workforce development and community betterment.
OPPD partners with businesses to encourage growth.
Pathways to Decarbonization: Net-Zero Carbon Production
We are working on a Pathways to Decarbonization Study in support of our goal of net-zero carbon production by 2050
Environmentally SensitiveThis decarbonization study will allow OPPD to work towards our goal of net-zero carbon production by 2050. We will consider trends shaping the future of the energy industry in order to determine pathways by which OPPD can achieve decarbonization.
We will look at OPPD operations and generation mix, and explore ways to support our customers and communities in meeting their goals. At all times, we remain committed to providing affordable electricity that continues to be reliable and resilient for our customers.
In recent years, we have also completed dozens of environmental projects that further our commitment to being environmentally sensitive, including refueling coal-fired generators to natural gas, changes to further reduce emissions, and developing 300 acres of pollinator habitat.
The energy generation landscape in our region is changing. By using our strategic directives, mission and other factors as guides, OPPD will continue to support the energy needs of our growing service territory.
Solar Generation
Power with Purpose: We are developing the largest solar project in the Midwest
The Power with Purpose project, currently underway, will add between 400 and 600MW of solar generation to our portfolio, and up to 600 MW of modernized natural gas backup generation.
Adding this generation will help us meet the growing energy needs of our service territory as well as maintain a resilient and reliable system.
Environmentally SensitiveReliable
Natural Gas Back-up
Power with Purpose: Back-up natural gas generation for resiliency
Supplementing solar generation with natural gas backup generation will enable OPPD’s system to remain resilient. That means that OPPD will be able to continue operations even when impacted by a major outage event.
OPPD’s leadership has been thoughtful during this process to ultimately craft solutions that are fiscally responsible, aligned with our mission and continue the reliable and affordable service our customers have come to expect from their public power utility.
Solar + Gas Siting
Solar + Gas Siting
Solar Request for Proposal Responses by County
Click the image below to enlarge.
The counties shown here are preliminary options for solar facilities as part of the Power with Purpose project. Our team has been evaluating RFPs through extensive modeling to determine viability and suitability to meet OPPD needs. It’s part of our commitment to being good financial stewards.
OPPD will continue the procurement process and analysis, and continue to engage stakeholders along the journey, in order to find the best solution for our customers and OPPD.
Outreach Approach
We are committed to ongoing stakeholder outreach, because it is important that we engage our customers, understand their concerns and offer them an opportunity to provide feedback.
We are listening and want to understand what is happening in your communities. We will have conversations and provide updates with potential communities as modeling continues, for both solar and natural gas.
- District-wide State of the Utility (moved online) April-May
- Conversations and Updates with Potential Communities as Modeling Continues
- Engagement with Directly Impacted (i.e. landowners) & Interested (i.e. community leaders)
- Outreach and Communication to Close the Loop
Rates
All of this with no general rate increase
AffordableAll of the work outlined here has occurred without a general rate increase. That is a promise we made to customers in 2016, and one we will continue through at least 2021.
The fact we have not raised rates to support this work speaks to our commitment to the financial stewardship of customer dollars.
Share Your Thoughts
Thank you for participating! Now that you’ve heard from us, we want to hear from you.
What's going on in YOUR community?
We invite you to provide feedback or ask questions about any of the content presented.
Learn more!
You can learn more about the work we’re doing by following us on social media and The Wire. We regularly post information about projects that are underway and events in our communities.
Social:
OPPDCares OmahaPublicPowerDistrict www.linkedin.com/company/Omaha-Public-Power-DistrictOPPD’s Top 10
There’s a lot to look forward to in 2020. Download the State of the Utility – Continuing our Journey: 2020 Look Ahead to learn more.
The Wire: Energy news from Omaha Public Power District
The goal of The Wire is to further Omaha Public Power District’s mission and strategic directives, giving visitors an inside look at our operations, our employees and the fast-changing electric utility industry.
