General

Helping eastern Nebraska shine for visitors and major events

What’s the one thing college baseball fans, concertgoers, zoo lovers and Berkshire Hathaway shareholders all need when they visit their favorite major events in Omaha? 

Electricity! And for every large gathering, OPPD works quietly and proactively, sometimes months in advance, to ensure reliable power for everyone.

“We always try to coordinate and make sure we have a plan,” said David Ortiz, an OPPD senior account manager who has been busy lately with behind-the-scenes prep for the College World Series, which starts on Friday. 

Long before the big day arrives, OPPD dispatches crews to areas where crowds will gather. Troubleshooters patrol circuits, looking for potential weak spots and areas that need repairs. Street lighters ensure nearby lights are shining bright. Equipment in high-traffic areas might get a scrub-down and a fresh coat of paint. 

For some major events, OPPD keeps crews stationed near key equipment to make repairs at a moment’s notice. 

“We want to make sure we’re keeping the lights on so that our customers have what they need to be successful,” said Laura Strode, an OPPD senior account manager. 

Planning for major events

Months before major events, OPPD specialists from multiple departments meet to formulate a plan. 

A typical planning session includes center managers, supervisors, work schedulers, street lighters, power-quality specialists, security leaders, emergency planners and others. The group evaluates any requests from the affected customer and discusses areas that might need work. 

The process usually begins with senior account managers, a specialized team that works one-on-one with OPPD’s largest and often most critical customers. 

As eastern Nebraska grows, there’s no shortage of big events needing reliable electricity: The College World Series. The Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting. The Henry Doorly Zoo’s “Zoolightful” holiday celebration. And, of course, a presidential election every four years overseen by county and state officials. At Offutt Air Force Base, OPPD coordinates with military officials to test their mission readiness during simulated power outages. 

“The customer tells us their needs and we work out how we can best serve them,” Ortiz said.

On call, at the ready

Every event requires a tailored response. 

Just a few weeks ago, OPPD street light worker Alex Schissel squeezed into a manhole in downtown Omaha to inspect electrical components in preparation for the College World Series.

With traffic and pedestrians passing on the street above and a coworker handing him tools, Schissel fixed a connection to re-energize a malfunctioning streetlight near Charles Schwab Field Omaha. 

“With the College World Series coming up, there’s a lot of people and we need the streetlights on to try to keep people safe,” Schissel said.

The maintenance “is just something that needs to be done every year to keep our infrastructure up and make sure the lights are staying on.”

Preparing for elections

For major elections in Douglas County, OPPD workers patrol circuits that feed into county election offices. Crews have added animal guards to protect equipment from squirrels and other critters. Many county election offices also have their own backup generators but coordinate with OPPD as an extra precaution. 

On Election Day, OPPD’s service centers remain on call with an active coverage plan. Strode said OPPD acquires a list of all polling locations in Douglas and Sarpy counties so the utility can respond quickly to outages at those sites. If a car hits a pole and causes an outage, a troubleshooter or line crew hurries to the scene. 

“We all hope for the best, that nothing eventful happens that day,” Strode said. “But if it does, I’m on call and others are available as well. We do everything in our power to be prepared.” 

If any problems arise, senior account managers use their contacts within OPPD to address the issue quickly. 

“My cell phone is always charged,” Ortiz said. “They can call us anytime.”

OPPD Digital Media Coordinator Danielle Beebe contributed to this report.