General

OPPD debuts new public EV charger

Electric vehicle drivers now have another charging option when visiting downtown Omaha.

This week, OPPD debuted a new public charger for electric vehicles (EVs) just outside the utility’s headquarters. A grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) in coordination with the Nebraska Community Energy Alliance (NCEA) paid for a portion of the charger. OPPD paid the remaining costs.

“As the electric utility, we thought it made sense to lead the way and install an EV charger at the OPPD headquarters building,” said Kirk Estee, manager of Customer Alternative Energy Solutions at OPPD.

First of many

The charger at 16^th and Howard streets is just one of several new public chargers in Omaha. In most instances, OPPD collaborated with businesses and locations to make the chargers a reality. The 16th and Howard station was installed as part of a partnership with the City of Omaha to create a network of stations for OPPD customers and the public.

Other public EV chargers include:

• Two chargers at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
• In the future, the UNMC campus will host two chargers, and one charger will be installed at a new NP Dodge development on 86^th and Dodge streets.
• More public chargers at various metro locations are also in the works.

“OPPD is working hard on many fronts to improve EV drivers’ access to medium and high-speed charging facilities,” Estee said.

In the case of the newest charger downtown, the City of Omaha will own and operate the device. OPPD’s role includes facilitating installation and connection to power.

OPPD plans to pursue installing additional commercial, public chargers in the future, said Estee.

Public chargers are an extension of OPPD’s offering of EV rebates to customers, which have been very popular.

“The electrification of the automotive industry is an exciting opportunity for OPPD. We can leverage our strong renewable generation resources to reduce automobile emissions and improve the environment by using local resources,” Estee said.