Omaha electrical Infrastructure

[OmahaFan]

3rd time this month that my power in South Omaha has gone out due to a minor storm hitting Omaha. I’m curious if anyone here has heard about OPPD’s plan to handle constant outage in South Omaha near, North Omaha and Central Omaha? Sent them a very angry email regarding this situation.

[OmahaFan]

I heard they were studying burying electrical lines but just critickets from OPPD. Meanwhile Omaha’s aging power infrastructure is failing and they just keep giving themselves pay raises and jacking up our electrical rates.

[nebugeater]

I used to work in the genareal area of the Zoo. Power outages with little to no weather are not new ( not to be mixed up with considered acceptable) The excuse that was used as a reason for outages was the trees that were in the lines all over the area. Sometimes the outages would not be tied to even a minor storm but just wind.

[Big E]

We get our elctricity over wifi now and haven't had any issues.

[Trips1]

I heard they were studying burying electrical lines but just critickets from OPPD. Meanwhile Omaha’s aging power infrastructure is failing and they just keep giving themselves pay raises and jacking up our electrical rates.

They are trying to protect their jobs. They raised the hook-up fee over several years so they could say they didn't raise rates. This caused getting solar to go from a bad to really bad financial decision. Now they are raising rates because of the demand that is mainly from the data centers that politicians seem to love.

If they cared about the grid they would get 100% behind solar and battery, instead they care about their jobs. I have two giant batteries parked in my garage that could power 10 houses during peak demand or outages for a day.

[PWL73316]

I'm not necessarily some huge OPPD booster, but OPPD is not anti-solar or renewables. Just last year they completed an 81 MW solar facility. Their ten-year plan calls for 2500 MW of generation and more than half will be renewables. They are also starting to add utility-scale batteries.

Using EV batteries to supplement the grid is a theoretical use case that is an unsolved problem. Nobody is currently doing that; OPPD isn't holding out. And it's very unlikely they would ever be used to power anything but the house they are at during an outage.

[BuildTaller]

they just keep giving themselves pay raises and jacking up our electrical rates.

I checked my last 3 June statements. It went from just over 9 cents to 10 cents. So a couple dollars a month for me. I wouldn't call that jacking up the rates.

If they cared about the grid they would get 100% behind solar and battery, instead they care about their jobs. I have two giant batteries parked in my garage that could power 10 houses during peak demand or outages for a day.

OPPD definitely has been upping their solar pv generation. They have a big field of panels close to where I live.
Maybe they should put up some more turbines.


Don't forget that the OPPD board is composed of publicly elected volunteers. We have some of the lowest rates in the country. I do notice that my power does go out more than it used to but I've since learned how to cope by using various strategies. I have filled out my OPPD surveys and have complained about uptime.

[Brad]

I heard they were studying burying electrical lines

Out west where they have been burying lines for decades, they are now putting all the infrastructure in the front yard on all new neighborhoods (Wires, Switches, and transformers). I wonder if they start to bury lines in older neighborhoods if they will put everything in the front yard?

[GenX]

I heard they were studying burying electrical lines

Out west where they have been burying lines for decades, they are now putting all the infrastructure in the front yard on all new neighborhoods (Wires, Switches, and transformers). I wonder if they start to bury lines in older neighborhoods if they will put everything in the front yard?

Lincoln buried overhead lines along S 84th a couple years ago, so it’s definitely not unheard of.

[OmahaFan]

Power went out additional 2 more times in July. Emailed OPPD and they said that they will having crew come out to check the connections smh. I appreciate the response but they need bury those lines in South Omaha.