The Village of Shickley, Neb., recently received a Project of the Year award from NMPP Energy for the village’s electric distribution system upgrade.
NMPP Energy presented its Project of the Year Awards to four communities at its annual conference in Lincoln, Neb., in late March.
The awards are presented annually to NMPP Energy communities to recognize projects or programs that create a more cohesive community, whether it was a project created for the entire community or one that makes it easier for city staff and employees to serve their customers. The award winners received $200 to be used for a community project of their choice.
The Village of Shickley’s project consisted of upgrading four blocks of the village’s 1950s-era electric distribution infrastructure to today’s modern standards. The project was completed in the summer of 2021.
“A safe and reliable electrical distribution system is very important to the Village of Shickley,” said Bart Brinkman, a village board member.
The village collaborated with Great Plains Power and local business Frieden Electric Company on the project, noted Richard Eymann, Electrical Distribution O&M Specialist at NMPP Energy.
The upgrade included installing a significantly higher voltage three-phase distribution system. Several secondary overhead wires were rerouted to clear buildings and new transformers, poles and other equipment installed that will improve system reliability and minimize maintenance for many years.
Eymann said the project was a very important infrastructure upgrade from the old 4,160 voltage distribution to the 12,470 voltage. The village is still using the 4,160 voltage but installed equipment that will be able to go to the new 12,470 voltage with a flip of a switch on every transformer, he said.
Nebraska-based NMPP Energy is a coalition of four organizations serving nearly 200 Midwest and Rocky Mountain communities.
NMPP Energy organizations include Nebraska Municipal Power Pool, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, National Public Gas Agency and Public Alliance for Community Energy.
