Energy Portfolio

OPPD's Current Fuel Sources for Generation

• Low-sulfur coal
• Wind
• Solar
• Landfill gas
• Natural gas and fuel oil
• Hydroelectric
• Note: OPPD ceased operations at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station and began decommissioning the plant in 2016 because it was no longer economically feasible to operate. For the latest news at Fort Calhoun Station, visit The Wire. 

OPPD Generating Plants

Nebraska City Station

Units 1 and 2 are fueled by low-sulfur coal, which results in cleaner emissions than high-sulfur coal. Nebraska City is a baseload generating plant.

OPPD retrofitted Nebraska City 1 with basic emissions controls in 2016. Operational in 2009, Nebraska City 2 was designed with more current emissions controls.

Peaking Plants and Landfill Gas

OPPD has three peaking plants fueled by natural gas and/or fuel oil: Cass County Station, Jones Street Station and Sarpy County Station.

Elk City Station is fueled by methane and other gases produced by decomposing trash buried in the Douglas County Landfill. These gases would otherwise need to be burned or "flared off" into the atmosphere. Elk City is a baseload plant.

Renewable Energy 

OPPD has purchase power agreements with several Nebraska wind farms, scattered across the state from north-central to southeast. Because it is intermittent, wind energy supplements baseload generation. 

OPPD's first utility-scale solar project, Platteview Solar, was brought online in 2024. OPPD has a power purchase agreement with the facility’s developer and owner/operator, the AES Corporation. The facility is capable of producing 81 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

In response to customer interest, OPPD launched a community solar program in 2019. This 5MWac solar facility, near the town of Fort Calhoun, was brought online in late-2019. 

Integrated Resource Plan

In keeping with our mission of providing affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive energy services to our customers, OPPD is committed to maintaining a diverse energy portfolio. With dynamic changes taking place in the utility industry, OPPD regularly reviews its generation resource options.

In February 2022, OPPD submitted an updated  Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), with whom we have a long-term contract to receive hydroelectric power. (WAPA is one of four power marketing administrations within the federal Department of Energy.)

We use a comprehensive, decision-support tool to evaluate resource options for the IRP. We analyze such things as market conditions, costs, load requirements, regulation, new technologies and customer preferences. The resulting IRP serves as a road map for future generation and power purchases.

As the utility industry continues to rapidly evolve, OPPD will adjust its assumptions and resulting plans for serving the electrical demand of our customer-owners.

 

As a public power utility, OPPD seeks feedback from its customer-owners and other stakeholders on important issues that relate to our mission of providing affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive energy services.

OPPD uses OPPDCommunityConnect.com as a tool engage with customer-owners. We want every member of our 13-county community to consider this a platform to connect. At OPPDCommunityConnect, you can learn more about what we're doing and share input, insights and ideas with us. Visit us here to learn about our goals, concerns and efforts - and share your own.