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OPPD Working Proactively to Bolster Generation Sources Against Frigid Winter Weather

As frigid temperatures sweep through eastern Nebraska, Omaha Public Power District employees have been working proactively to keep power flowing to customers and fortify our generation sources against extreme weather. 

Utility leaders shared their progress with the OPPD Board of Directors during their committee meetings last Tuesday ahead of their monthly board meeting this evening. 

Extreme weather has increasingly affected electrical utilities nationwide, and OPPD is no different. Regional drought conditions in the upper Midwest have affected water levels of the Missouri River, which some of OPPD’s generators use to operate. Stricter national and regional regulations are also requiring utilities to enhance their winterization planning. 

“We’ve seen some amazingly cold spells of weather over the last year few years,” said Troy Via, OPPD’s chief operating officer and vice president of Utility Operations. “This caused us to reassess some of the protections we have at our generating stations. Obviously, it’s very important to keep electricity flowing. It’s a matter of safety, and we take that very seriously.” 

To address this challenge, OPPD has improved its processes and procedures using lessons from recent winter storms and invested in physical modifications to harden plants against the weather.

OPPD has met and exceeded new regulatory standards for extreme cold conditions and executed plant-level preventative maintenance routines.

OPPD has also built relationships with key river stakeholders, including state and federal officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Weather Service and other utilities along the Missouri River. 

Examples of plant improvements include heat tracing and indicator lights at Sarpy County Station to help regulate temperatures and remote temperature monitoring at Nebraska City Station to help alert plant employees to changing conditions. The new Turtle Creek Station and Standing Bear Lake natural gas balancing stations are designed to operate under extreme, sub-zero temperatures. 

OPPD said it will continue making improvements and learning from different storm events. The utility also plans to continue monitoring weather closely and working with local, state and federal agencies. New generation facilities being constructed and planned will be hardened for extreme cold by design and won’t rely on river cooling. OPPD will also keep collaborating with industry peers and stakeholders. 

“Each winter storm has been unique,” said Ryan Gerdts, OPPD’s director of operations. “We always approach them with the same continuous improvement mindset to identify things we can do to enhance our facilities.” 

Board officer positions for 2025 

The Board of Directors also elected members who will serve in leadership roles in 2025. Matt Core will serve as the new board chair. Mary Spurgeon will become the new vice chair. Amanda Bogner will serve as secretary and Craig Moody will serve as treasurer. 

The board also confirmed standing committee assignments for this coming year. Spurgeon will serve as Governance Committee chair. Craig Moody will serve as Finance Committee chair. Sara Howard will continue in her role as Customer and Public Engagement Committee chair. Eric Williams will serve as System Management & Nuclear Oversight Committee chair. Bogner will serve as Risk Committee chair. 

Directors also approved standing committee annual reports for 2024, indicating their approval of each committee’s performance with regards to accountabilities. 

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