General

OPPD, Google announce $6 million community resilience contribution

Omaha Public Power District is partnering with Google, United Way of the Midlands and a variety of area community partners to support households and organizations and strengthen community resilience.  

A new $6 million contribution from Google will help support weatherization and energy efficiency programs, as well as workforce development, community projects focused on resiliency, and direct support for individuals and families experiencing high energy burden. 

“Together with our community partners, we will leverage our complementary strengths to address both immediate needs and long-term opportunities,” said OPPD President and CEO Javier Fernandez. “We are working in collaboration with our community partners to improve energy efficiency, strengthen housing stability, and prepare the next generation of skilled workers — all essential to meeting our region’s growing energy demands.” 

The partnership is a comprehensive approach to advancing energy resilience in communities across the territory OPPD serves, made possible by the $6 million contribution by Google. 

 “Google has a long-term commitment to Nebraska, and we believe it is our responsibility to ensure local communities share in the upside of our energy growth,” said Chris Matos, energy market development lead, central U.S., at Google. “Google is committed to not only paying for 100% of the power we use, but also to making investments in new clean energy generation and energy efficiency initiatives that benefit all community members.” 

Collaborative spirit

OPPD and United Way of the Midlands have a long history of working together in service of regional communities, most recently combining strengths on OPPD’s Greener Together program. Several area partners – including Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, Southeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Northeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership and more – will also contribute. 

“This investment reaches across our community in meaningful ways,” said Shawna Forsberg, president and CEO of United Way of the Midlands. “It will provide important support for hardworking families, strengthen nonprofits serving our community and give more people opportunities to explore and build pathways to careers in the energy sector. We’re grateful to bring our expertise and community focus to this collaborative effort.”  

With Google’s support, the scale and outreach of community-focused initiatives is expanding significantly. Some investments reinforce trusted programs already showing strong results, while others introduce new, innovative approaches to emerging energy and resilience needs.  

Over the next 12 months, the investments will include:  

• Community Resilience Hubs: $1.875 million  

• Weatherization and Home Energy Efficiency: $1.75 million  

• Assistance & Community Resource Fairs: $1.25 million  

• Community Resiliency Projects: $875,000, plus Greener Together program investments  

• Workforce Development: $250,000  

To learn more

For more information or to learn whether you or your organization qualify for assistance, you can choose among the following options: 

• Attend OPPD’s Community Resource Fair at Liberty First Credit Union Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 20, between 3 and 7 p.m. Customers can apply for direct bill assistance and sign up for weatherization funded through this partnership, along with other community resources.   

• Starting Nov. 1, customers behind on their electric bill can contact 211 or apply for assistance online at myappconnect.com/. Funding is first come, first served. To quality, a customer’s household income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.  Eligible customers will receive up to a maximum of $500.  The funding follows the guidelines of OPPD’s Energy Assistance Program.   

• To learn more on how to apply for Energy Efficiency Assistance please visit oppd.com/eeap. 

• To learn more about the Greener Together Program and whether your community-based organization is eligible to receive funding, please visit oppd.com/gtp.