The Beatrice Power Station received provisional acceptance on Jan. 7, 2005. Now owned and operated by NPPD, the station is called upon, when needed, to supplement load demand.

A groundbreaking for the Beatrice Power Station was held June 26, 2003. Officiates of the ceremony included Lt. Gov. Dave Heineman, Sen. Dennis Byars, Beatrice Mayor Dennis Schuester, Gage County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dave Anderson, Norris Public Power District General Manager Glen Schmieding, NPPD President & CEO Bill Fehrman, NPPD Board Chairman Wayne Boyd, Vice President of Energy Supply Rick Gardner, and NPPD Board Director Gary Thompson who represents Subdivision 8.

In May 2003, the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool Design Review Subcommittee unanimously approved the Beatrice Power Station Generation Accreditation Study. This approval permits the interconnection of the Beatrice Power Station with the regional grid. This approval further provides for the transmission requirements for accreditation of the Beatrice Power Station at 250 megawatts.

On May 29, 2003, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality approved the Air Quality Construction Permit for the Beatrice Power Station, authorizing NPPD to proceed with full construction activities. The permit also establishes emissions and operational limitations under which the plant will operate once construction is complete.

On Dec. 20, 2002, NPPD secured ownership of 247 acres of land that will be the site of the new combined cycle facility northwest of Beatrice, Neb.

On Dec. 13, 2002, NPPD’s Board of Directors awarded a $157,244,914 contract to two companies—The Industrial Company of Steamboat Springs, Colo. and Utility Engineering of Amarillo, Texas—who will work jointly to engineer, procure and construct a new combined-cycle power plant for the utility. The contractors were selected out of an initial 30 potential vendors and a final list of four contractors who participated in a competitive bid and evaluation process.

Four EPC contractors (Engineer, Procure and Construct) were selected in late July, 2002 to submit bids for the construction of the Beatrice Power Station.. The four EPC vendor finalists include:

• TIC - The Industrial Company; Contact: Joann McAnulty; Phone: 970-879-2561 ext. 3293; Email: joann@ticus.com.
• BE&K; Contact: Bob Walsh; Phone: 205-972-6675; Email: WalshB@bek.com.
• Gemma; Contact: Shawn Briggs; Phone: 860-659-0509 ext156; Email: shawnbriggs@gemmapower.com.
• Zachry Construction Corp.; Contact: Billy Roberts; Phone: 210-475-8931

On July 19, 2002, the Nebraska Power Review Board approved the application from NPPD to build a 250-megawatt (229 summer net) power plant near Beatrice, Neb.

NPPD presented its case to build a 250-megawatt (229 summer net) power plant near Beatrice, Neb. to the Nebraska Power Review Board on June 21.

NPPD received Consent and Waiver letters regarding the proposed combined-cycle facility in Gage County from OPPD, LES, MEAN and Norris. The letters were forwarded to the Nebraska Power Review Board prior to its June 21 meeting.

The ad hoc Nemaha County Development Alliance filed an intervention against the project and was permitted to ask questions during the hearing on June 21, 2002.

At its April 2002 board meeting, NPPD’s Board of Directors approved funding to build a proposed 250-megawatt power plant near Beatrice, Nebraska.