Update on North Omaha Station

The OPPD board did NOT vote to extend coal operations at the North Omaha Station (NOS). Rather, we affirmed our commitment to stop burning coal at NOS on the fastest timeline possible.

In October 2025, OPPD’s management recommended the board approve an indefinite extension of coal operations until several, high criteria were met. That was a no-go for me, so I worked with other board members to put in place a resolution that lined up with the fastest path toward retiring coal at NOS.

When the board convened on December 18, we had two options:

Vote yes, which puts us on a path for potential refuel/retirement by the end of 2028.

Vote no, which puts us on a path for potential refuel/retirement by the end of 2028.

Yes, you read that right.

The timelines are identical. The closure was already delayed by two years. No matter which way the board voted, the timelines were the same and - importantly - we still do not know what, if any, grid improvements are necessary in order to move forward. Those grid improvements, which are required by the Southwest Power Pool, could delay execution even further.

Here’s why I voted yes.

1. I wanted to prioritize NOS refuel/retirement in the 2026 Integrated Systems Plan, which essentially locks it in

2. I wanted to establish a clear, transparent timeline

3. I wanted the board in the driver's seat when it comes to forthcoming actions, timelines, and accountability

4. I wanted to establish a framework for a comprehensive distributed capacity procurement program focused in North Omaha

Also of note: A “no” vote would have likely resulted in the furtherance of the Nebraska Attorney General’s lawsuit, which would delay the project even further.

What’s the deal with the distributed capacity procurement plan?

The board felt it important to create the framework for a program that could include but not be limited to distributed energy resources, energy efficiency, underground distribution infrastructure, and demand side management. The plan would ideally be mutually agreeable and demonstrably beneficial to customers, providing capacity, grid support, and load-reducing services. The work would be focused on customers who are disproportionately impacted by storm-related outages, and aim to reduce monthly bills for participating customer-owners.

A lot of people are asking me why the plan was delayed in the first place. Here’s why.

There are a few key reasons for why there’s already been a two-year delay, all of which are beyond OPPD’s control.

The primary reason is that the district has not received the required Generation Interconnection Agreements (from the Southwest Power Pool and federal government) needed to permanently bring replacement generators —two new natural gas units— online. These agreements are delayed by more than a year.

OPPD needs those aforementioned agreements to take the next step in the process, which is to initiate a study by the Southwest Power Pool to examine whether or not upgrades to the grid are required prior to the retirement and refueling at NOS. This study could take up to a year.

These two required steps - both out of the control of OPPD - effectively amount to a nearly 2-year delay.

So what’s next?

With the resolution in place, transparent, specific steps and timelines are now in place. This provides clarity and accountability to OPPD management. These steps include:

1. OPPD has already commenced its Integrated Systems Plan which locks in the NOS refuel/retire assumption. (study concludes Dec 2026)

2. Receipt of the Generation Interconnection Agreement (potentially as soon as January 2026)

3. Initiation of SPP transmission study, which will determine what — if any — grid upgrades are required to refuel/retire NOS (study could take up to a year)

4. Within 120 days of the completion of the Integrated Systems Plan, the Board will approve next steps and grant OPPD management approvals to move forward

5. Upon board approval, OPPD management commences the work

Key takeaway

The board did NOT vote to extend coal operations at NOS; by approving the resolution, we affirmed our commitment to stop burning coal at NOS on the fastest timeline possible.