Nebraska Public Power District is Nebraska’s largest electric utility, with a chartered territory including all or parts of 86 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. It was formed on Jan. 1, 1970, when Consumers Public Power District, Platte Valley Public Power and Irrigation District (PVPPID) and Nebraska Public Power System merged to become Nebraska Public Power District. Merger properties also included assets formerly operated by Loup River Public Power District. NPPD is a public corporation and political subdivision of the state of Nebraska. The utility is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors, who are popularly elected from NPPD’s chartered territory.

NPPD’s revenue is mainly derived from wholesale power supply agreements with 51 towns and 25 rural public power districts and rural cooperatives who rely totally or partially on NPPD’s electrical system. NPPD also serves about 80 communities at the retail level. Over 5,000 miles of transmission lines make up the NPPD electrical grid system, which delivers power to about one million Nebraskans. Because of our role as both a retail and wholesale provider, an estimated 1 million people in Nebraska depend on NPPD for electricity. View NPPD’s Who We Serve section for a complete listing.

NPPD uses a mix of generating facilities to meet the needs of its customers. This includes a nuclear plant (Cooper Nuclear Station), three steam plants (Canaday, Gerald Gentleman Station and Sheldon), a combined-cycle facility (Beatrice Power Station), wind generation facilities, nine hydro facilities, nine diesel plants and three peaking units. NPPD also purchases electricity from the Western Area Power Administration, which is operated by the federal government. NPPD is also a member of the Southwest Power Pool, the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool and the Western System Power Pool.

Reliable Delivery

NPPD is chartered by state statute to deliver electric power, wholesale or retail, to all or parts of 86 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. That’s an estimated population of 1.07 million people in a 76,281 square-mile area who are touched directly or indirectly by NPPD’s service. To assure efficient and reliable delivery of electric energy to this large area and population base, NPPD formed Customer Services & Delivery.

On the surface, Customer Services & Delivery does just what its name implies: It manages, operates and maintains NPPD’s transmission, subtransmission and distribution lines and substations in such a manner as to ensure the delivery of low-cost, reliable electric power to the District’s customers. A more comprehensive examination reveals Customer Services & Delivery is an umbrella encompassing Account Management, Economic Development, Regulatory & Contracts, Asset Management, Customer Care, and Operations – as these pertain to NPPD’s delivery of electric power.

NPPD’s 550 Customer Services & Delivery employees oversee 4,300 miles of high voltage transmission lines (115 kilovolt and higher) and 796 miles of subtransmission lines (34.5 kV and 69 kV) for a total of 5,096 miles of transmission and subtransmisssion lines. Customer Services & Delivery operates and maintains 121 high voltage substations and 146 subtransmission substations for a total of 267 substations. On the distribution side, Customer Services & Delivery operates and maintains 2,161 miles of overhead lines and 314 miles of underground lines, providing retail power to approximately 89,000 customers in 80 communities.

For more information, view our Transmission Related Documents.

Wholesale Power

Nebraska Public Power District serves the total wholesale power requirements of 25 public power districts and rural cooperatives, 51 municipal customers and two partial requirements municipal customers in Nebraska. This means power is generated at NPPD’s generating facilities and is moved across miles of transmission lines to wholesale customers located throughout the state. These wholesale distributors then distribute the power to end-use customers. More than 70 percent of NPPD’s revenues are derived through wholesale power supply agreements. NPPD also serves approximately 89,000 customers at the retail level.

NPPD and its wholesale partners work closely on many issues to bring the best, energy-related services possible to Nebraska’s electric consumers at affordable rates. As the only, wholly public power state in the nation, Nebraska utilities have a unique relationship and a common purpose: to provide low-cost, reliable service with local control. Initiatives between NPPD and its wholesale partners ensure the advantages of public power are brought to all Nebraskans.

Energy Marketing

NPPD is directly interconnected to the North American Electric Reliability Council’s (NERC) Eastern Interconnection. Additionally, NPPD is connected to NERC’s Western Interconnection through AC-DC-AC ties under the control of WAPA (LM).

NPPD is also a member of the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool (MAPP) and the Western Systems Power Pool (WSPP).

In May of 1999, NPPD joined The Energy Authority (TEA) as an equal owner. The Energy Authority is the nation’s first public power wholesale marketing organization. Effective June 1, 1999, TEA began performing NPPD’s energy trading, risk management and credit functions from its 24-hour trading floor in Jacksonville, Florida. For your short term energy supply needs, please contact the The Energy Authority at 904-360-1420. For your real time energy supply needs, please contact The Energy Authority at 904-360-1408.

A Vision For The Future

After 11 months of analysis, discussion, and debate, NPPD’s Board of Directors approved the District’s new strategic plan July 15, 2011. Communications with customers and employees about the final plan and how its strategies and goals will be implemented throughout NPPD’s corporate and individual business unit plans will be ongoing over the next several months.  View the Strategic Plan.

VISION: Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Nebraskans now, and in the future.

MISSION: Safely generate and deliver reliable, low cost, sustainable energy and provide outstanding customer service.