General

Major transmission buildouts will help meet Nebraska power needs 

Look anywhere these days and you’ll see high-voltage transmission lines and towers rising into place in eastern Nebraska. 

Each one serves a critical role in the midst of huge new demand and the need for reliable electricity. And right now, OPPD is tackling a monumental job with half a dozen major transmission projects across its 1,300-mile transmission network to ensure long-term grid strength and economic growth. 

The utility is both adding new and rebuilding almost one-half of its entire transmission system over the next decade. 

“It’s unprecedented for OPPD and the industry in general,” said Kelsey Haas, who oversees the utility’s biggest transmission and substation projects. “This is the largest buildout of transmission that we’ve had since the 1970s, when air conditioning growth surged. There’s significant growth both within our territory as well as regionally and nationally.” 

As with all major projects, OPPD relies on extensive environmental and engineering studies and public feedback. The utility does its best to minimize the number of private properties affected and maximize the distance from homes, schools, parks, churches and cemeteries. 

“In my 20 years at OPPD, we’ve never seen this level of growth and change,” said Dannie Buelt, OPPD’s senior director of Major Projects. “It’s been a very interesting journey to see the impacts and to find new ways to work with our partners and suppliers.” 

Weathering all storms 

The project list includes new construction and rebuilds of aging equipment to accommodate higher loads and withstand Nebraska’s infamous weather. 

Transmission lines send electricity over great distances, from generation plants to the substations and neighborhood distribution lines that feed homes, schools and small businesses. 

“Technology changes and we want to be able to weather all storms,” said Sarah Lake, OPPD’s engagement strategist. “We have so many of these transmission projects happening right now because of all the extreme growth and the reliability needed.” 

The work comes as global supply chain markets have tightened, making it more challenging and expensive to acquire the parts needed for projects. 

“We’re really experiencing a much more dynamic time, requiring a lot more care and focus on the details of how these projects are developed and executed,” Buelt said. 

Buelt said a strong transmission network is just as critical for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional organization that manages the transmission grid from Texas to Montana and throughout Nebraska. SPP ensures the reliable, safe and efficient flow of electricity through all or parts of 17 states. 

‘A huge volume of work’ 

The growth within OPPD’s territory tracks with a similar trend regionally. Outside of Nebraska, some of SPP’s member utilities are seeing so much demand that they’re now considering ultra-high-voltage 765-kilovolt lines in parts of the southern United States. A single 765-kV circuit carries up to six times the power of OPPD’s largest 345-kV transmission lines. 

Haas said OPPD has hit all of its project timeline goals so far. One transmission segment in North Douglas County was constructed slightly ahead of schedule. OPPD expects to energize on time in December for the Cass to Sarpy Transmission Project. 

“The team has done a great job at executing and finishing a huge volume of work that needed to be completed,” Haas said. 

Haas said she was also proud of the successful installation of new Pyramax towers, the tallest structures in OPPD’s service territory. They’re part of a new transmission corridor down by Louisville. Some structures on the North Douglas County Project will have foundation diameters of about 14 feet, the widest in OPPD’s system. 

Rising to the challenge 

“It takes a lot of people to execute this,” Haas said. “We’ve had a lot of firsts with these projects. I think the team has risen to a lot of challenges incredibly well with support from our strategic partners and contractors.” 

Many projects require close coordination with OPPD teams and contractors that are installing new generation, including at Cass County Stations and Turtle Creek Stations. Both run on natural gas, and Cass County is getting new dual-fuel units. Existing units are getting converted so they can run on both natural gas and fuel oil. Thath will make them more versatile and give OPPD greater operational flexibility. 

“Anytime we build a new generation plant, we have to build new transmission and substation pieces as well,” Haas said. “There’s a lot of coordination on those buildouts, and we’ve found our groove in terms of being able to collaborate.” 

Engaging the public 

OPPD offers in-person open houses, online workshops, a hotline and a public website at OPPDCommunityConnect.com where the public can learn more about projects and give feedback. 

The utility’s government affairs team also talks regularly with local elected officials to help answer any questions their constituents might ask. 

“We’re committed to bringing the public along for the whole journey,” Lake said. 

Here’s a breakdown of the six transmission projects in various stages of development: 

North Douglas County 

North Douglas County is seeing major transmission upgrades to accommodate growing region-wide demand. 

The added transmission capacity will help support new power generation and future enhancements. 

The Douglas County project is coming together in three segments. One is a new, 2.3-mile double circuit line between 114th and State Streets. The other two are rebuilds between 101st and State Streets and 60th and Garvin Streets. 

To meet modern standards, OPPD is replacing many older, lattice-style towers with steel monopoles. 

Cass to Sarpy

OPPD is building a roughly 23-mile, 345-kV transmission line between its Cass County Station near Murray and the new Turtle Creek Station near Springfield. The project will support a sturdy, resilient grid that can withstand larger peak demands, growth and extreme weather. 

Bellevue Reliability Project 

OPPD is upgrading transmission and distribution systems in Bellevue. This project will create more resilience and reliability and clear the way for significant growth.  This project comprises the Southeast Bellevue Transmission Project and the Olde Towne Transmission Project.

The work includes rebuilding some transmission and upgrading or expanding five existing substations and constructing a new one. 

“There’s going to be a lot of growth and expansion for the Bellevue community, which is really exciting,” Haas said. “We’re trying to prepare them for the future so we can serve all those new customers in the area while providing increased reliability.” 

Cass to Nebraska City

OPPD plans to build approximately 40 miles of new transmission lines from the Plattsmouth area in Cass County to a substation near Nebraska City. 

This line is the longest OPPD has built since 2016. It will include roughly 10 miles of double-circuit lines and about 30 miles of single-circuit high voltage lines (345-kilovolt), depending on the exact route. The new line will improve the north-south flow of power. 

SPP identified the line as a critical need to support regional reliability and growth. OPPD will also expand substations at the line’s two endpoints. 

Arboretum to Midtown

OPPD is also improving and expanding its transmission system to support growth and development in midtown Omaha. 

The Arboretum to Midtown Transmission Line Project will rebuild up to seven miles of transmission line. The project also includes roughly 2.5 miles of new transmission construction.