North Omaha Station (NOS) Update
Balancing reliability, affordability and sustainability
OPPD is proposing to extend current operations at North Omaha Station (NOS) to ensure we can continue delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to our growing communities.
You can find the draft resolution here.
Why this resolution is being considered
We’re facing a new energy reality. Since 2019, OPPD’s winter peak has grown by 473 MW and summer peak by 544 MW. Adding 500 MW is the equivalent of adding the systems of Grand Island and Hastings, combined, to our system. At the same time, new generation takes longer to build, and regional reserve margin requirements are increasing. Reserve margins are the extra amount of energy a utility must have on standby at any given time.
North Omaha Station provides critical local support to the grid. Why extending NOS is being considered:
- RELIABILITY FIRST: Converting NOS too soon increases the risk of rolling blackouts, outages, and even energy rationing. Extension keeps the grid more stable and customers protected.
- AFFORDABLE POWER: Extending NOS helps mitigate rates by 1–3% annually starting in 2027, easing the burden on households and businesses.
- COMMUNITY WELL‑BEING: Any transition must safeguard continuous energy flow while protecting the health and resilience of our community.
- STRENGTH FOR GROWTH: Energy powers prosperity. Extending NOS sustains its capacity and energy for businesses to expand and attracts new industries to grow here.
Our commitment to the communities we serve
We understand this decision touches on more than just energy. It touches on the health and well-being of our employees and communities. That’s why we’ve taken the following steps:
- Commissioned a human health and ecological risk assessment of a potential extension using tools developed by the EPA. The study concluded that impacts are all below established EPA risk thresholds protective of public health and adverse environmental effects
- Reduced CO₂ by 40%, SO₂ by 50%, NOₓ by 40%, and mercury by 90% since 2013
- Achieved Low Emitter status for North Omaha Station coal Units 4 and 5
We remain committed to our net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050.
Learn More
OPPD leadership presented the North Omaha Station Update to the utility’s board of directors at their November meeting. You may watch the video presentation and discussion here.
Next Steps
The board will take public comments through Dec. 14. This resolution will be presented to the OPPD Board of Directors in December for a vote. No decision has been made. We are committed to transparency and will continue to update this page with new information and answers to your questions.
Public Records Disclaimer
Nebraska's public records law may require OPPD to provide to interested persons, including members of the news media, copies of your communications to us, including your name and other contact information.
Board Committee Meeting Presentation
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OPPD is proposing to extend current operations at North Omaha Station (NOS) to ensure we can continue delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to our growing communities.
Your health study found risks were below current EPA thresholds. Those numbers change over time. EPA adjusts and rarely increases thresholds, but does lower them with new data. Science shows that there is no true safe level of any neurotoxin that is in coal. All levels harm the human body. No human created EPA political infused level is truly safe; unless it is zero. Please do not use this as a shield to justify continuing to use coal. At a minimum, a compromise would be to convert one of the two remaining coal plants in 2026. We do need to prioritize health of our community and people. Thank you!
There are several errors in the Commitment to Communities section on this webpage. Your commitment is first and foremost to provide enough energy at a reasonable price. While health is important (I also want clean air), there are other steps OPPD can take, and have taken, to provide a clean source of electricity. I have spoken with several employees and the NOS is not the problem some want us to believe. As you state, there is no evidence of bad health outcomes from this plant. It has also been proven that the imaginary CO2 concern is not a real concern. To believe otherwise is a denial of facts and history. I have seen and studied the charts which are supposed to say it is. It's not. Please keep the plant open and operating or OPPS may find itself facing more lawsuits, but from customers instead of the State. Which will drive up costs more because of the legal expenses.
Thank you
Has OPPD considered CBAs (Community Benefit Agreements) or Rate Reductions for customers that are most impacted by the extension of the Coal Plant? It seems to me that this most impacts residents in the immediate area of the facility (Health costs/Home Valuations) and they should receive the most benefits from having the facility extended.
Removed by moderator.
Dear OPPD
The conversion plan should be upheld and data centers should be paying their fair share instead of the average customers.
I personally can name multiple individuals with neurological diseases: six from St. Philip Neri, my church community, one relative that worked at the North Omaha Power Plant and and four neighbors all breast cancer survivors.
Please do the right thing and transition to gas NOT this last minute bait and switch.
Do the moral, ethical and right thing.
Dorothy Polan
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Dorothy Polan
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