The Nebraska Public Power District held its March 13-14, 2008, Board of Directors’ meeting in Columbus, Neb. The next Board of Directors’ meeting will be held Thursday and Friday, April 10-11, 2008, in Columbus.

Guests at the meeting included: Bob Lindburg, Greg Kuhnel, and Vernon Kuhnel from Polk County Rural Public Power District; Dale Barth and Weldon Marotz with Stanton County Public Power District; Bruce Pontow of the Nebraska Electric G&T; Jerry Palmer with Burt County Public Power District; Dave Watts representing Watts Electric; and Adrian Sanchez with the Columbus Telegram.

The Board approved a capital project for Cooper Nuclear Station for the replacement of 16 augmented off gas process controllers at $390,000.

The following contracts and engineer’s certificates related to Cooper Nuclear Station were approved:

• An emergency declaration to install permanent scaffolding in the reactor drywell for the Spring 2008 refueling and maintenance outage with Team One Mechanical Services LLC for an estimated $170,000;
• An emergency declaration to procure and refurbish two safety relief valve pilot assemblies for the Spring 2008 refueling and maintenance outage for an estimated $350,000.
• An engineer’s certificate to procure labor and materials necessary for the refurbishment of three valve body/base assemblies, eight valve pilot assemblies and one solenoid valve for the Main Steam Safety Relief Valves with Target Rock/Division of Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation for an estimated cost of $122,795;
• Agreement for the purchase of replacement software for security fitness for duty and access authorization with Scientech LLC for an estimated amount of $275,000;
• Agreement with Enertech Engineering Services for design engineering services support in the amount of $398,800;
• Amendment for main steam line vibration monitoring engineering services with Stevenson & Associates for an estimated amount of $225,000;

Also approved was an Energy Supply capital project for asset management planning and scheduling tool assistant software for $132,145. Other Energy Supply items approved included:

• Contract with Southeastern Mechanical Services, Inc., for a unit 1 reheater and heat recovery area tubing replacement and installation at Gerald Gentleman Station (GGS) for $7,372,690;
• Contract for the Ainsworth Wind Energy Facility condition monitoring equipment with Swantech, A Division of Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Services Corporation for $286,200;
• Contract for 10 renewable energy meteorological towers with National Wind, LLC, for $262,583;
• Engineer’s certificate for unit 1 high pressure turbine live steam admission valves at GGS with Alstom Power, Inc., for an estimated amount of $274,503;
• Engineer’s certificate for GGS Unit 1 high pressure turbine rotating blades and seals with Alstom Power, Inc., for an estimated amount of $851,198;
• Agreement with Microsoft Corporation for the renewal to an agreement for Microsoft software products for an estimated amount of $1,136,178.

 

The Board also took the following actions:

• Rejected bids for a wind tower and blade platform at the Ainsworth Wind Energy Facility;
• Rejected bids for spare main hotwell pump motors at GGS

 

The Board accepted NPPD’s January 2008 financial statements. Traci Bender, vice president and chief financial officer, reported that the District ended January with a surplus of $0.7 million. The Board also approved the 2008 Series A bond sale of $137.8 million required to refund the Districts 2004 A and 2007A taxable Auction Rate Bond programs which fund capital improvements at Cooper Nuclear Station.

The Board approved the following capital projects for Customer Services: equipment addition to a previous purchase of a mobile substation for $114,562; partial refurbishment of the transmission line from Loup City to North Loup for $216,323; partial refurbishment of the transmission line from Columbus to David City for $144,832; Phase 2 of the Electric Transmission Reliability (ETR) project (Columbus to Lincoln 345 kV transmission line) for $147,915,000; and installation of circuit switcher at Madison for $115,589.

The following items were also approved for Customer & Support Services:

• Contract for one dozen 345 kV relay/control panels awarded to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., for $308,990;
• Contract for 56,000 suspension insulators to be used on the new ETR (Columbus to Lincoln transmission lines) awarded to PPC Insulators, for $703,825;
• Contract for two heavy haul semi-tractors, awarded to Wick’s Sterling Trucks, Inc., for $255,916;
• Contract for clearance corrections for transmission lines (Loup City to North Loup and Columbus to David City) awarded to The L.E. Myers Co., for $390,075;
• Contract with Winco, Inc., for Shell Creek 115 kV and 230 kV temporary structure relocations, fiber optic ground wire repair and 345 kV line maintenance (Shell Creek – Hoskins fiber repair). Part II for $81,200 and Part III for $31,200;

 

The Board recognized the retirements of David H. Tune, Shift Manager at Cooper Nuclear Station; Michael F. Young, Maintenance Specialist at Cooper Nuclear Station; Thomas E. Doray, Nuclear Instructor at Cooper Nuclear Station; Larry D. Trusty, Material Handler at Gerald Gentleman Station; and Kirby D. Christensen, Local Manager at Ravenna.