General

OPPD talks sustainability, environment at Omaha’s Earth Day celebration

Hundreds of people gathered under cloudy skies at Omaha’s Elmwood Park on Saturday, April 27, to celebrate Earth Day. It was Omaha’s 35^th annual celebration.

Members of OPPD’s Sustainability & Environmental Affairs department, as well as others from the utility, were on hand to answer questions and promote various OPPD programs.

OPPD’s information booth was where Earth Day attendees could learn more about their public power utility’s environmental sustainability efforts as well as ways to increase their home’s energy efficiency.

Busy day

After devastating storms the night before, Saturday’s weather was fairly mild, drawing families out to listen to music, do yoga, attend presentations, and enjoy the food trucks. Attendees learned how to incorporate greener lifestyle habits and protect the environment better.

There were informative presentations held throughout the event in a “demo tent.” Backyard pet waste composting, home soil testing and a presentation on rain gardens were among the topics offered.

After spending nearly an hour at the Fat Brain Toys booth, Sarah Stannard and her son, Jakob Nikkel, made it to the OPPD booth. Jakob learned about the mini solar panels and two “Erector Set” wind turbines at the OPPD booth from Eric BenSalah, OPPD’s “Mr. E.”

“This is the third or fourth year we’ve come,” said Stannard, who works for the National Park Service. “It’s fun to talk to like-minded people who are working towards the same goals. I like going to the booths and learning more about the new technologies and programs to help become better stewards of the environment.

Even though he is just in kindergarten, Jakob is showing potential to become an engineer.

“We love all things STEM-related,” she said.

New department

The past year was a busy one for OPPD’s Sustainability and Environmental department, formed in April 2023. The group released  its environmental management plan along with guidance documents for both environmental management and sustainability, said Bridget Slavin, OPPD’s Sustainability Program manager.

“We are developing multiple standards for LED lighting, water use and recycling for all OPPD facilities,” Slavin said.

She was happy with the Earth Day crowd and the number of visitors to the booth. She and BenSalah said the booth drew a steady stream of visitors all day.

“We want people to know who OPPD is, and that we are more than just that bill you get each month,” said Slavin. “It’s important to be out in the communities we serve, getting to know our customers. We are transparent about our plans and programs for environmental sustainability.”

OPPD had booths highlighting the utility’s journey towards net-zero carbon production by 2050. The utility also provided information on the Greener Together program, solar rebates, and new environmental and sustainability playbooks, released on April 22.

Earlier in the week, department members potted plants to donate to a local nursing home. They held several events to mark the department’s one-year anniversary, Slavin said.