OPPD board elects officers, committee chairs for 2023
January 19, 2023
A new year brings new Omaha Public Power District Board officers. During this evening’s monthly board meeting, directors elected members who will serve in leadership roles for 2023.
The board also welcomed a new member. Director Matt Core was elected to serve Subdivision 4, replacing Rick Yoder, who did not seek re-election. Core is a lieutenant with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s office. He serves as the assistant administrative commander, among other responsibilities with the department.
Eric Williams, who represents Subdivision 6, will serve as board chair for this year. He takes the reins from Amanda Bogner, who had held the position since 2021. Janece Mollhoff, who represents Subdivision 7, will serve as vice chair. Craig Moody, who represents Subdivision 5, will serve as secretary. Mary Spurgeon, who represents Subdivision 3, will serve as treasurer.
The board also confirmed standing committee assignments for this coming year. Director Spurgeon will serve as Finance Committee chair. Sara Howard, who represents Subdivision 2, will serve as Public Information Committee chair. Director Moody will serve as System Management & Nuclear Oversight Committee chair. Director Bogner will serve as Governance Committee chair.
OPPD President and Chief Executive Officer Javier Fernandez recognized Director Bogner for her service as board chair over the past two years. “Amanda has shown great dedication and steady leadership,” Fernandez said. “We’re happy she will continue to guide the utility as Governance Chair in the coming year, and we are grateful to all of our directors for their passion to serve our customers.”
Power with Purpose update
Earlier this week, during the board’s committee meetings, OPPD provided directors with an update on the Power with Purpose (PwP) project to add up to 600 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar generation and 600 MW of natural gas generation. This will provide the necessary capacity to reliably serve our growing communities.
Engineering, procurement and construction activities are underway at the utility’s new natural gas generation balancing plants – Turtle Creek Station (TCS) and Standing Bear Lake Station (SBLS). At SBLS, near 120th Street and Military Road in Omaha, all three generator step-up transformers were delivered and set on foundations. Wärtsilä completed assembly of the nine reciprocating internal combustion engines they provided for the plant, and the associated generators were delivered to the plant. At TCS, near 168th Street and Fairview Road in Sarpy County, the Unit 1 Siemens Energy gas turbine was set on its foundation.
Work on OPPD’s first utility-scale solar project, the 81-MW Platteview Solar facility in Saunders County, is also on track. Some of the ongoing activities include construction at the interconnection substation and regular meetings with Saunders County leaders and the community to provide project updates. And, once the ground begins to thaw, work will begin to drive structural piles.
Read more about PwP and other important utility work on OPPDCommunityConnect.com.
Other action
In other action, directors:
- Approved the November 2022 comprehensive financial and operating report, December 2022 meeting minutes and the Jan. 19, 2023 agenda.
- Awarded a contract to Peak Contracting Group, in the amount of $1,002,021, to provide materials and labor for the development of a new substation, including foundations, ductlines and other miscellaneous work. This contract, with anticipated completion by this summer, will support load growth and reliability in the Douglas County area.
- Awarded a contract to Klute Inc., in the amount of $521,222, for steel structures related to the development of the new substation referenced above.
- Received the monthly President’s Report, available to view at OPPD.com/BoardMeeting.
Next board meetings
The next all-committees meeting will be held in-person Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. at OPPD Energy Plaza, 9W, 444 S. 16 St., as well as virtually, via Webex. The meeting link and instructions will be available at OPPD.com/CommitteeAgenda, beginning about 9:45 a.m., depending on the duration of a preceding closed-session meeting, if needed.
The next monthly board meeting is Thursday, Feb. 16, 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. The public can attend virtually by accessing the meeting link and instructions at OPPD.com/BoardAgenda, beginning at 4:45 p.m