summer 2010 ideas

cover story:Bellevue Public SchoolsReceives Harding Award

Summer 2010

Ideas MagazineIdeas is published by Omaha Public Power District for its commercial and industrial customers. The magazine promotes the efficient use of energy and provides information about new technology in the energy industry.

Editor/Designer Paula LukowskiOPPD, 444 S. 16th St. Mall, 3EP/EP1 Omaha, NE 68102-2247 [email protected]

Production EditorJoe Comstock

ContributorsChris Cobbs Vicker Sykes Jeff Hanson Terry Zank

Photography Larry Larson Django Greenblatt-SeayGeorge Sinos Brian Alspaugh

ENERGY STAROPPD is a proud ENERGY STAR partner. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, helping consumers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

About OPPDOmaha Public Power District is a publicly owned utility that serves more than 343,000 customers in 13 counties in south-eastern Nebraska. OPPD’s commercial and industrial rates are consistently below the national average.

For more information on OPPD, please visit oppd.com.

Inside

Scholars ............. 9OPPD awards J.M. Harding Memo-rial Scholarships to Shane Hanson of UNO, celebrating above, and Song Zheng of Creighton.

Star Status ....... 10The Omaha-World-Herald building is among 27 buildings in OPPD’s service area to receive ENERGY STAR certification.

Bright Idea ...... 12Airlite Plastics is seeing savings from OPPD’s Lighting Incentive Program.

Heard in the Halls .................................. 4The Bellevue Public School District receives OPPD’s Harding Award for energy management and environmental stewardship.

Recipe for Success ............. 14OPPD has a strong mix of fuels by design. Fuel diversity protects elec-tric companies and its customers from contingencies, such as avail-ability and price fluctuations.

Getting Lean ...... 18Employees are working together to save money and streamline operations.

Roped In ....back coverOPPD hosted the 10th annual American Public Power Association Lineworkers Rodeo this spring.

OPPD ideas/summer 2010 3

Power Plant Marks First AnniversaryOPPD’s Nebraska City Station Unit 2 has successfully wrapped

up its first year of operation.Since going online in May 2009, NC2 has operated under

budget and produced more power than projected. Overall, NC2 had better reliability and a higher capacity factor compared to industry benchmarks. Capacity factor is a measure of a generat-ing unit’s output during a specific period of time, expressed as a percentage.

OPPD uses half of the output from the 682-megawatt plant, and the remaining half is going to seven other public power and municipal utilities.

New Bill Format Simplifies Data, Saves Resources

OPPD has made changes in the appearance of customer bills, making them easier to read and understand. If you’d like ad-ditional explanation, visit oppd.com for details of the following types of customer bills:

Standard Bill - A bill for a typical homeowner or business ac-count.

Multi-Premises Standard Bill – A bill for customers with multiple service addresses who consolidate to one bill, with usage details and graphics for each service location.

Streetlight Bill – A bill for municipalities for whom OPPD provides streetlighting.

Condensed Bill – A bill for commercial/business customers who are on the Summary Billing Program.

Nebraska City Station

The Bellevue Public School District takes its motto – Champions for Children – to heart. While it is preparing the students for the future, it is making sure its facilities are energy effi-cient and affect the environ-ment as little as possible.

The district has 15

Bellevue Public Schools Wins Harding Award

Champions for children and energy efficiency.

J.M. Harding Award of Excellence

elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools, serving more than 10,000 students. The district received exemplary ratings at all grade levels for its assessments and student achievements on the state report card, one of only two districts to do so.

Bellevue has produced state and national trophies in debate, forensics, drama, band, music, DECA (Dis-tributive Education Clubs of America), FBLA (Future Busi-ness Leaders of America), Science Olympiad, Knowl-edge Master, Science Bowl and Future Cities.

Lewis & Clark Middle School is a pioneer in its own right when it comes to energy efficiency.


It has two large nation-ally recognized Air Force ROTC programs, mentoring programs in all schools, and top-notch facilities, with no portable classrooms.

And as the fourth-largest school district in the state, Bellevue maintains two- million square feet of school, administration and recreational space.

In its quest to provide quality education, the dis-trict has done a fair share of homework itself to ensure its facilities operate as effi-ciently and cost-effectively as possible. As a result, Bellevue Public Schools has become a champion for energy-efficiency and envi-

Mission Middle School Dean of Students Shawn Hoppes and Principal Laurie Hanna meet in the school’s media center.

ronmental stewardship at all of its locations. For its continued efforts in this area, OPPD has awarded Bellevue Public School Dis-trict with a second J.M. Harding Award of Excellence for efficient and innovative use of energy.

Named for the first presi-dent of OPPD, J.M. Harding, the award has been given since 1984 to a commercial or industrial customer for demonstrating efficient and innovative use of energy. Bellevue’s repeat receipt of the award is a reflection

6 OPPD ideas/summer 2010

of the leadership of the administration, led by Dr. John Deegan, Bellevue’s superintendent of schools, the Bellevue Board of Educa-tion, and the teamwork of the Bellevue Public Schools’ staff.Lean and Green

“Going green isn’t just a trend in Bellevue, we live it every day,” said Dr. Deegan. “Bellevue Public Schools has partnered with the Omaha Public Power District for many years. OPPD has eval-uated our energy systems and recommended plans on how to become more efficient. These recommen-dations have paid off for the Bellevue Public Schools and provided us an opportunity to be good stewards of tax-payers’ dollars and good role models for our students.”

Bellevue Public Schools has been very proactive in energy-efficiency upgrades, both in partnership with OPPD and on its own, according to Steve Sauer, OPPD account executive.

OPPD, with assistance from the Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Nebraska, has evaluated the district energy systems, provided recommendations and helped develop a plan on how to become more

efficient. “Once the plan is fully

implemented, energy costs may be reduced by 20 per-cent or more,” said Sauer.

“Bellevue also does a great job of long-range energy planning,” said Sauer. “The district always has some-thing on its long-range plans. For example, West and East high schools both have HVAC comfort and upgrade needs. Once funds become available, they will address them.”

Bellevue believes in a pay-as-you-go program, accord-ing to Dr. Deegan. The dis-trict saves money and then builds or upgrades facilities. It has the lowest tax rate in the metro area, and it has no bonded indebtedness – all of the schools are paid for.True Champions

“A driving force in all of our projects is comfort for students. If they are com-fortable, they will be able to learn and perform better,” said Jim McMillion, direc-tor of support services for the Bellevue Public School District. “But we certainly look at cost when we are planning projects. We try to put together programs and projects that go hand-in-hand with comfort, cost and

Award Has Honored Excellence For 27 Years

OPPD has awarded the Bellevue Public Schools with the 2010 J.M. Harding Award of Excellence for efficient and innovative use of energy.

OPPD began giving the award in 1984, and the school district becomes the second commercial and industrial customer to receive the award for a second time. Bellevue first received the award in 1997. Mutual of Omaha also received the award twice – in 2007 and 1990.

The award is named for J. M. Harding, OPPD’s first president. Harding served in that capac-ity for 20 years and built OPPD into the most progressive public power district in the state.

Past Winners2009 – Gallup2008 – NatureWorks2007 – Mutual of Omaha2006 – Millard Public Schools2005 – Methodist Health System2004 – The Lund Company2003 – Henry Doorly Zoo2002 – Creighton University2001 – Westside Community Schools2000 – Offutt Air Force Base1999 – University of Nebraska Medical Center1998 – Baker’s Supermarkets1997 – Bellevue Public Schools1996 – First National Bank1995 – 3M Valley1994 – Nebraska Furniture Mart1993 – First Data Resources, Inc.1992 – KVI Associates, Inc.1991 – Omaha Public Schools1990 – Mutual of Omaha Companies1989 – Wilkinson Manufacturing 1988 – Campbell Soup Company1987 – Control Data Corporation1986 – Vickers1985 – AT&T – Omaha Works1984 – Valmont Industries, Inc.

A ground-loop heat exchange system, buried under this field at Bellevue Elementary School, is similar to ones previously installed at the district’s Welcome Center, Lied Activity Center and Lewis & Clark Middle School.


energy efficiency. We look for the best bang for our buck.”

A dramatic transforma-tion took place in 2009 at Bellevue’s oldest school, Mission Middle School, when old radiator heat and inefficient air conditioning units were replaced with energy-efficient heat pumps, a new cooling tower and high-efficiency boilers.

Principal Laurie Hanna helped orchestrate the change, which began while school was still in session.

“We had to move class-rooms for two to five days at a time so workers could run ductwork and install heat pumps in each class-room,” said Hanna. “We had to move through the building in a manner that was efficient for the workers, and we had to give teach-ers at least a day’s notice to relocate their classrooms. It worked like clockwork.”

When school got out for

School District Offers Its Own History Lesson The Bellevue school system is Nebraska’s oldest. It took roots

in 1833, when Baptist missionaries were sent to Nebraska to convert and educate the Otoe Indian tribe, which lived near the Bellevue Indian Agency.

Up until that time, fur trading was a bustling business along the Missouri River. The Otoe – along with the Omaha, Missouri and Pawnee tribes – had supplied goods to fur-trading posts on both sides of the river. However, with the decline in the fur trade in 1832, Lucien Fontenelle sold Fontenelle’s Post to the U.S. govern-ment for use by the agency.

By the mid-1850s, Bellevue was the oldest and most widely known settlement in the territory. Omaha and other areas started to prosper, and in 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state in the union. In the 1890s, Fort Crook located in Bellevue and provided impe-tus to the city’s future population growth. Fort Crook was later named and redesigned as Offutt Air Force Base.

Today, the Bellevue Public School District is the fourth-largest school district in Nebraska. It serves more than 10,000 students, 35 percent of whom are dependents of active-duty military personnel stationed at Offutt.

the summer, workers had the run of the school. “I took pictures of the whole thing because I wanted the

staff to realize everything that went on,” said Hanna, who knows the school inside and

Jim McMillion, Steve Sauer, Robert Ingram III, principal at Bellevue Elementary, and Jerry Kline, lead custodian at the school, look at the geothermal system pipes in a mechanical room.

Continued


out – she taught there for eight years before her four years as principal.

Many people did notice the differences. Gone were the clanking sounds from the old radiator heaters and the whistling from the air conditioners. Teachers did not have to open windows in the middle of winter because of radiator hot spots.

“I didn’t get near the level of complaints that I received in the past, and I never heard the kids talk about it,” she said. “There was an absence of distrac-tion, which was good for learning.”Digging Deep

At its newest schools, Bel-levue Elementary and Lewis & Clark Middle School, the district installed ground loop heat exchange (GLHE) systems, technology that it already had at the Welcome Center and Lied Activity Center.

The GLHE is a space-conditioning system that uses the earth’s relatively constant temperature to pro-vide heating and cooling to buildings. Wells are drilled below the surface, where heat is transferred from the earth to a liquid solution, which circulates through the piping network to heat the building. The same system cools a building by remov-ing the heat from the inte-rior and transferring it back to the ground.

The system at Bellevue Elementary has 196 bore-holes, 163.5 feet deep. Pip-ing in a mechanical room

Over the years, Mission Middle School has retained interesting design features and added new ones, like this entryway. It is the district’s original school, founded circa 1890.

links the well field to the geo-thermal heat pumps through-out the school.

“The biggest benefit of geo-thermal heat pumps is that they use 25 percent to 50 per-cent less electricity than con-ventional heating or cooling systems,” said Sauer. “These systems also provide excel-lent zone space-conditioning, allowing different parts of the building to be heated or cooled to different tempera-tures.”

In addition, Bellevue Elementary’s design also includes three bioretention cells, added McMillion. Tradi-tional bioretention cells – also referred to as rain gardens – are small landscaped, graded areas constructed with a spe-cial soil mix and lined with a porous medium that can aid in reducing storm water run-

off, replenishing the aquifer and filtering pollution.

The Bellevue school sys-tem also is the first OPPD customer to install Digital Optimizer Technology, which will be used at Lewis & Clark Middle School. This new technology will extend the life of cooling equipment, as it is designed to reduce the amount of cycling, which wears out the compressor. “It will reduce energy consumption and demand by about 40 percent for the associated equip-ment, and it will be another money-saver,” said Sauer.

Not only do the Bellevue students benefit from the district’s efforts, but it has a lot to teach other custom-ers, too.


OPPD awarded J.M. Harding Memorial Scholarships to Shane Hanson of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Song Zheng of Creighton University. Both students have their sights set on careers in their fields of study.

Hanson, a civil engineering major, hopes to work at an engi-neering firm that has a focus in wastewater engineering. He would like to help design sewer systems and work on water-treatment pro-cesses.

Shane currently works as an intern at Olsson Associates. Shane, who attended Mount Michael Benedictine High School, received a Regent’s scholarship to attend UNO. With a 3.94 grade-point average, he has been on the dean’s list and chancel-lor’s list, and he is a member of the Chi Epsilon honor society. He belongs to the American Society of Civil Engi-neers, plays indoor recreational soccer and enjoys biking.

Hanson is the son of John and Donna Hanson of Omaha.

Song Zheng, a Creighton junior who is studying finance and accounting, speaks two dialects of Chinese, English and a little Span-ish. Originally from China, Zheng attended Bryan High School, where he ranked fourth out of 341 students. At Creighton, he has earned a spot on the dean’s list each semes-ter, with a 3.68 grade-point average.

Zheng is the son of Chang Zheng and Yu Wang. His involvement with the Distribu-tive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and Future Business Leaders of America earned him state recognition.

Zheng’s activities at Creighton include Peer 2 Peer, the Anna Tyler Waite Leadership Program and the Asian Student Association. In the community, he has worked with Hun-ger Clean Up, Boy Scouts of America and Youth 2 Youth, and has visited nursing home and pediat-ric patients.

Zheng also enjoys reading, playing basketball and hanging out with his friends.

Harding Memorial ScholarshipsAwarded to Creighton, UNO Students

Shane Hanson of the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Song Zheng of Creighton University


Improving energy effi-ciency, reducing operating expenses and being a good community partner – that’s an appealing package for any enterprise, especially in a period of budget con-straints.

The Omaha World-Herald joined an expanding list of businesses to achieve the three-tiered objective when its facility at 1314 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha received ENERGY STAR cer-tification, meeting energy-efficiency guidelines set

by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy.

The World-Herald part-nered with OPPD, which is actively promoting ENERGY STAR participation via per-sonal contacts, targeted emails, website and trade shows.

“We are telling customers this is a cool program, and we’ve seen an impressive increase in the last two years in the number of buildings that have received ENERGY STAR awards,” said Judy

Omaha World-Herald Building Gets ENERGY STAR Certification

Star StatusPhoto courtesy Omaha World-Herald


Sunde, project manager, Marketing Strategies.

The potential rewards of the ENERGY STAR program can be seen in the 30 per-cent reduction in demand usage at the Omaha World-Herald Building, said Shannon Yates, senior vice president – Management Services for Grubb&Ellis/Pacific Realty. His firm serves as property manager for the Omaha World-Herald Building, and he worked with OPPD Account Execu-tive Steve Honig on the ENERGY STAR project.

“We kicked off the project in January 2008 with imple-mentation of an ECO 24/7 project, which encompassed a lot of work on the heating and cooling systems,” Yates said. “We also completed a lighting retrofit project. We had much of the work done by November 2008.”

The 385,000-square-foot facility was awarded the ENERGY STAR designation in June 2009. In the ensu-ing year, the numbers have underscored the value of the program. “We have seen a 10 to 12 percent decline in actual costs, along with a bigger reduction in usage,” he said.

Overall, The World-Herald Company is pleased with the energy efficiency mea-sures that enabled them to attain ENERGY STAR status. “It’s great to have an ENERGY STAR building,” Yates said. “It reduces demand and is more earth-friendly.”

The World-Herald’s experience is in line with what other companies have

gained through participation in the program, said Honig.

“Property management firms want their buildings to be energy efficient,” Honig said. “When they lease all or part of an ENERGY STAR building, they advertise that that the energy-efficient building meets the EPA’s rigid indoor air quality and lighting requirements. Peo-ple who lease space know they will get a better deal

The following are ENERGY STAR-certified buildings in the 13-county OPPD service area, as of June 7, 2010.

Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School, Omaha Public Schools (OPS), Omaha

ConAgra, Omaha

First Data Corporation, Omaha

Harrison Elementary, OPS, Omaha

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, Elkhorn

JC Penney, Oakview Mall, Omaha

Jefferson Elementary School, OPS, Omaha

Kohl’s Department Stores: Papillion, Crossroads, Eagle Run

Manchester Elementary School, Elkhorn Public Schools, Omaha

Miller Park Elementary, OPS, Omaha

Morrissey Engineering, Omaha

Omaha World-Herald, Omaha

Omaha-Douglas Civic Center, Omaha

Plaza of the Americas, Omaha

Rohwer Elementary, Millard Public Schools (MPS), Omaha

Rose Hill Elementary School, OPS, Omaha

Terrace Plaza, Omaha

Union Pacific Center, Omaha

Verizon Wireless, Omaha

Wakonda Elementary School, OPS, Omaha

Washington Elementary School, OPS, Omaha

Wheeler Elementary School, MPS, Omaha

Zurich Home and Field Office, Omaha

11600 Centre Plaza, Omaha

and won’t be over paying for utilities.”

Once a building attains ENERGY STAR status, it can reapply annually to be recer-tified and show the owner’s continued commitment to energy efficiency.

OPPD received special recognition at the annual ENERGY STAR awards in Washington, D.C., in March for its efforts promoting the ENERGY STAR program.

Reaching for the Stars

Photo courtesy Omaha World-Herald


Bright IdeaOPPD Program Lightens Energy Bills for Airlite Plastics


Even with a limited budget for reducing its energy bill, the decision to take advan-tage of OPPD’s Lighting Incentive Program was a fairly simple one for Airlite Plastics.

The Omaha company is in the process of replac-ing lighting systems in two facilities, a move that will cut energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.

Airlite is one of many companies taking part in OPPD’s Lighting Incentive Program, which offers incen-tives for lighting retrofits and replacements. These ret-rofits and replacements may also qualify customers for federal tax deductions.

“It’s simple – you know what you will save before you do it,” said Jim Johnson, project manager. “You know what wattage you were using and what you will use with the new lighting system.”

Airlite Plastics, which has approximately 650 employ-ees, operates manufacturing and warehouse facilities in north Omaha. The company produces containers and lids for food packaging, drink cups and lids. In addition, its product line includes polystyrene coolers, insu-lated concrete form building blocks and other custom plastic products.

Over a three-year period, Airlite will phase in new fluorescent lighting across 400,000 square feet of space and will be using about

half the energy it consumed with older lighting, Johnson said.

“We are happy with the program,” he said. “We have limited funds to spend each year on energy reduction. By doing it in phases over three years, we are able to take full advan-tage of the rebates available through the Lighting Incen-tive Program.”

The OPPD Lighting Incen-tive Program enjoyed a strong debut last year, and it is mak-ing further strides this year.

“Our 2010 Lighting Incen-tive Program has been a great success for our customers and for OPPD,” said Judy Sunde, project manager, Marketing Strategies.

The program has preap-proved lighting projects that

exceed demand-reduction goals and are spurring almost $2 million worth of lighting projects in OPPD’s 13-county service territory.

Looking ahead to next year, OPPD is working to add auto-mated features to the 201l program. Applications that once required lots of paper-work will be handled elec-tronically and will be simpler to fill out, making the entire process more user-friendly.

“We are excited about the future and are thrilled the Lighting Incentive Program has spurred so much interest in energy efficiency,” Sunde said.

Airlite Plastics operates manufacturing and warehouse facilities in north Omaha.

Beautiful landscaping welcomes employees and visitors to Airlite Plastics.


OPPD’s Diverse Fuel Mix is Recipe for Success

Electricity is electricity and it doesn’t matter where it comes from, right?

Well, not exactly. The mix of fuels that make the electricity is important to

reliability and affordability. Taking out an ingredient to any recipe can alter the outcome.

Electric companies around the world rely on a variety of fuels to generate electricity. Depending on the availability in their area, that fuel mix can include a combination of coal, nuclear energy, natural gas, fuel oil, hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and other technologies.

In 2009, OPPD’s generation mix included 73.1 per-cent coal, 26.0 percent nuclear, 0.6 percent oil

and natural gas and 0.3 percent other (landfill gas and wind).

“Fuel diversity protects electric companies and their

customers from contingencies, such as fuel availability, fuel

price fluctuations and changes in regula-tory practices that can drive up the cost of a particular fuel,” said David Ried,

division manager of Energy Marketing &

Trading. Fuel diversity

also helps ensure stability and reliability in

Fuel Mix


electricity supply and strengthens national security.“We don’t have all of our commitments on a single fuel,

which gives us flexibility in meeting our customers’ energy demand at the least cost,” said Jon Hansen, vice president of Energy Production & Marketing. “If gas is high-priced, we run very little of it, and we can move our lower-cost coal- and nuclear-generated electricity into the wholesale market.”Mixing it Up

“If you look around the Midwest, utilities like Kansas City Power & Light, MidAmerican, St. Louis-based Ameren and OPPD all look in the same buckets as to what they want to include in their portfolio,” said Ron Boro, division manager of Fuels. “We all have coal and nuclear as our baseload, with a gas-turbine fleet for peak loads.

“As you move to other parts of the country, you see dif-ferent fuel mixes that take advantage of the resources of the

area,” Boro said. Fuel mixes vary greatly from state

to state and region to region. For ex-ample, in 2008:• West Virginia’s fuel mix included

more than 97 percent coal, due to its proximity to West Virginia and Pennsylvania

coal mines. • Hawaii, near oil rigs in the Pacific Ocean, had more than

77 percent of its generation from oil.• Washington, with large dams on its waterways, got

75.4 percent of its generation from hydroelectric power.• Alaska, rich in natural gas, got more than 60 percent of

its generation from that fuel.

*"Non-Hydro Renewables and Other" includes generation from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass (agricultural waste, municpal solid waste, landfill gas recovery, wood, pitch), hydrogen, batteries, chemicals, non-wood waste, purchased steam, sulfur and miscellaneous technologies.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration (EIA).

U.S. Fuel Mix in 2008

CoalNatural GasNuclearHydropowerNon-Hydro Renewables and Other*Fuel Oil

Coal49%

Non-Hydro Renewables and Other

3%Hydropower

6%Nuclear

20%

Natural Gas21%

Fuel Oil1%

OPPD Fuel Mix in 2009

CoalOil and Natural GasNuclearRenewable

Coal73.1%

Oil and Natural Gas

0.6 %

Nuclear26 %

Renewable(landfill gas and wind)

0.3 %

Fuel Mix

Major changes in the availability of a fuel can have economic and reliability impacts, especially on a regional basis. OPPD got a taste of that in 1993 and 2005, when coal transportation troubles drastically slowed delivery.

OPPD and neighboring utilities faced a similar problem in 1993, following severe flooding in the Midwest. A rail bridge near Nebraska City eroded, and OPPD went without coal deliveries for almost four weeks.

OPPD is diverse by plan, and its fuel mix benefits from its composition of domestic fuels.Correct Ingredients

Employees working at OPPD in the 1960s were strategic and saw the value nuclear energy would bring. They made the decision to go nuclear in 1966. At that point, OPPD was relying primarily on coal and natural gas, with some fuel oil.

Alaska Coal 9.0 % Nuclear 0.0 % Natural Gas 60.9 % Oil 8.8 % Hydro 21.2 % Non-Hydro 0.1 % Renewables and Other

Nebraska Coal 65.3 % Nuclear 28.4 % Natural Gas 2.5 % Oil 0.1 % Hydro 2.6 % Non-Hydro 1.1 % Renewables and Other

Washington Coal 6.0 % Nuclear 8.6 % Natural Gas 7.3 % Oil 0.0 % Hydro 75.4 % Non-Hydro 2.7 % Renewables and Other

California Coal 1.0 % Nuclear 14.7 % Natural Gas 48.5 % Oil 1.1 % Hydro 22.3 % Non-Hydro 12.4 % Renewables and Other

Net Generation by State


OPPD Generating Capacityin 2009

CoalOil and Natural GasNuclearRenewable

Coal52.8 %

Renewable0.2 %

Oil and Natural Gas

30.2 %

Nuclear16.8 %

Maine Coal 1.9 % Nuclear 0.0 % Natural Gas 42.5 % Oil 3.5 % Hydro 25.4 % Non-Hydro 26.7 % Renewables and Other

Texas Coal 36.5 % Nuclear 10.3 % Natural Gas 49.2 % Oil 0.5 % Hydro 0.2 % Non-Hydro 3.3 % Renewables and Other

Hawaii Coal 14.3 % Nuclear 0.0 % Natural Gas 0.0 % Oil 77.2 % Hydro 1.2 % Non-Hydro 7.3 % Renewables and Other

West Virginia Coal 97.7 % Nuclear 0.0 % Natural Gas 0.4 % Oil 0.2 % Hydro 1.5 % Non-Hydro 0.2 % Renewables and Other

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Power Plant Report (EIA-920), Combined Heat and Power Plant Report (EIA-920), and Electric Power Monthly (2006 Preliminary). Data compiled from www.getenergyactive.org/fuel/state.htm

Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station began commercial production of electricity in September of 1973, just one month before the Arab oil embargo, which caused the Energy Crisis of 1973. After the energy crisis hit, fuel oil prices soared.

“Twenty to 25 years ago, people were talking about coal and nuclear energy,” said Boro. “Today, natural gas and renewables are taking a bigger swing.”

The interest in natural gas stems from an abundance in supply, according to Boro. Renewable energy has gained favor due to environmental advantages and con-cerns, as well as the prospect of regulatory actions that could greatly impact utilities.

“OPPD controls its own destiny,” said Ried. “We can manage our costs if we have the load, and our diverse fuel mix is designed to ensure that we have that load.”


Managers who study their business know that improving their processes can improve their bottom line, their customer service and their ability to keep prices competi-tive. The improvements may not be headline-grabbing or huge. However, when added together, they can mean significant improvements in a number of areas.

OPPD is combing through its processes to find ways to do things better. Thirty-eight employees now are certified as Lean facilitators after going through several weeks of training and project work. They have teamed up with employees around the company in 25 projects so far that are shaving days and dol-lars from the way the utility operates.

The Lean method of im-proving processes was devel-oped from Toyota’s continu-ous improvement philosophy of operations, known as the Toyota Production System. Although Toyota has been the subject of negative headlines recently, it has used continu-ous improvement methods to make the customer the main focus of how it operates.

“Lean is about creating value for the customer, while eliminating waste,” said Joe Waszak, division manager of Operations Analysis. His

Lean Can Mean

GREENdivision is heading the Lean training effort.

The biggest money-saving process change so far has involved the discovery of new ways to recycle equipment and material that comes into OPPD service centers from the field. Early numbers indicate the savings could add up to more than $300,000 annually at one location. OPPD now is taking the new recycling process to other areas of the company and will study if similar savings can be made there.

Not all process improve-ments have such savings in money. However, eliminating a day or two from an opera-tion could mean customers will see reduced lead times for some of the work they need from OPPD.

“Ultimately, the goal is to continually improve the services we provide to our customers as we strive to ex-ceed their expectations,” said Waszak.

The success of the Lean process-improvement method relies heavily on the people who actually are involved in the process day to day. These employees know best where improvements can be made. The Lean facilitators guide them through the improve-ment process and introduce them to the tools. They then spot the best improvements

and make the changes hap-pen.

Sometimes, processes evolve over time for what may once have been a good reason. Even though that rea-son may have gone away, the process has stayed the same “because we’ve always done it that way.”

“We find that certain work-ers in the process are now more aware of what the oth-ers are doing,” Waszak said. “By assembling cross-func-tional teams, workers become aware of how they impact the ability of others upstream or downstream in the process.”

With the new tools and knowledge, employees can identify what is vital to the process and what can be eliminated. Metrics are devel-oped and honed for lead time and process time with an eye to reducing both.

As OPPD cuts its costs, it reduces pressure for increases in rates, which nobody wants.

“Some of our costs have increased over the years,” Waszak said. “We intend to streamline our processes with Lean and other improve-ments, as well as take other cost-cutting measures. Lean is just one of many tools OPPD is using to control rate increases.”

In that way, Lean can mean green for OPPD customers, as well as OPPD itself.

Contact InformationFor more information about the products or services mentioned in this issue, please call (402) 636-3536.

Economic Development ......................... 402-636-3726 Toll-Free Number ............................... 888-781-4415

Energy-Efficiency Programs (ECO 24/7) . 402-636-3536

Energy Reviews ...................................... 402-636-3536

Heat Pump Program Commercial and Industrial ................. 402-636-3536

Multifamily Dwellings and Condos ................................................ 402-636-3752

Performance Contracting ...................... 402-636-3536

Power-Quality Reviews .......................... 402-636-3536

Real-Time Energy Monitoring ............... 402-636-3536

Standby Generation & Curtailment Program ............................. 402-636-3536

Summary Billing ..................................... 402-536-4131 Toll-Free Number ............................... 877-536-4131

Thermal-Conductivity Testing ............... 402-636-3536

Account ExecutivesCustomer service is a top priority at OPPD. Our account executives specialize in different industries and are able to help large commercial and indus-trial customers with many energy-related issues, including added service for new or expanded facili-ties or new technologies. A list of account execu-tives by business sector is available at oppd.com > Business Customers > Customer Service > Account Executives. You also may contact 636-3536.

Electrical Service DesignersElectrical Service Designers (ESDs) are the primary customer interface for line-extension requests, load-addition requests, equipment relocations, or other operational requirements related to com-mercial and residential customers. A complete list of ESDs is available at oppd.com > Business Customers > Customer Service > Electrical Service Designers. You also may contact the office nearest you:

Elkhorn ................................................. 552-5830Omaha/Papillion .................................. 552-5330Louisville ............................................... 552-5521Syracuse ............................................... 552-4030


APPA Lineworkers Rodeo

Nation’s Best Show the Ropes in Omaha

444 South 16th Street MallOmaha, Nebraska 68102-2247

Address Service Requested

On the cover:Gathered in an entryway at Mission Middle School are Steve Sauer, OPPD account executive; Laurie Hanna, principal at Mission; Shawn Hoppes, dean of students at Mission; and Jim McMillion, director of support services for Bellevue Public Schools. OPPD is presenting Bellevue Public Schools with its 2010 J.M. Harding Award of Excellence for energy management efforts.

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Omaha, NEPermit 97

A soggy start failed to dampen competitors’ spirits at the American Public Power Association’s Lineworkers Rodeo on March 27. OPPD hosted the 10th annual event at Levi Carter Park.

The strongest endorsement on OPPD’s planning and execution of this event came from a visiting APPA official, who said it will serve as the template

for future APPA rodeos.Nearly 200 participants from across the

country competed, including 39 three-person journey lineworker teams and 49 apprentice line technicians, who competed individually. A total of 24 OPPD employees competed, and many others worked hard to make it happen.

summer 2010 ideas

Documents

energy industry

energy management

department of energy

energy star certification

streetlight bill

energyefficient products

efficient use of energy

proud energy star partner