General

Public power serves all Nebraskans

Those living and working in Nebraska have some important advantages, thanks to public power. Nebraska is the only state in the nation served entirely by public power.

Public Power Week, Oct. 6-12, is a great time to learn more about what public power means for you.

OPPD and other public power utilities are not-for-profit local institutions that provide electricity as an essential public service. Customers are also their utility’s owners

With its service population nearing the million mark, OPPD’s obligation to its growing customer-owner base guides its strategic objectives, rooted in a nearly 80-year tradition of public power. In addition to homeowners and businesses, OPPD serves agriculture, technology, health care, manufacturing, Fortune 500 companies and more.

Public power’s benefits

Public power benefits include low-cost electricity, local control, reliable service and commitment to the community.

Affordability

OPPD has some of the lowest electric rates in the nation.

Residential rates are 24.8% below the national average, according to the preliminary figures from the Energy Information Administration, December 2023, the most recent data available. The retail electric rate was 27.6% below the national average in 2023.

Public power rates are based on the cost to provide service, not the financial interest to stakeholders.

This low-cost power gives OPPD a competitive advantage when attracting economic development to its communities. Businesses that move to Nebraska cite low electric rates as a key factor in their decision to relocate.

Local control

OPPD customers elect board members. These representatives work with OPPD’s executive leadership team to set policies and rates. They hold public meetings and publish minutes and recordings for transparency’s sake. In addition, OPPD’s stakeholder outreach efforts allow customer-owners to give input and feedback on projects and issues.

In other parts of the state, local control comes via appointed boards, rural cooperatives and city councils.

Reliability

Customer-owners need reliable service. That’s why utility rates pay for maintenance and get reinvested into important infrastructure needs.

This includes routine equipment inspections and maintenance, power quality improvements, and tree trimming, to name a few. OPPD also is in the midst of a fiber network expansion and has converted more than 75% of its service area streetlights to longer-lasting, more reliable LED fixtures.

Community focus

Public power utilities support and promote environmental stewardship, conservation, energy education and safety. OPPD has a commitment to provide environmentally sensitive energy, and that drives many decisions the utility makes, including a goal to be net-zero carbon by 2050.