During committee meetings last week for the Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors, OPPD leaders shared plans to add more generation to one existing plant and one currently under construction.
The announcement is part of OPPD’s strategy to add nearly 2.5 gigawatts of generation over the next decade to meet the growing energy usage of its more than 400,000 customers in 13 counties.
The utility is making the generation additions to address an anticipated annual load growth of 100 megawatts for the foreseeable future.
OPPD’s latest plans will add 900 MW of simple cycle natural gas generation with fuel oil backup.
The district has selected Siemens Energy to provide the new assets, including four SGT6-5000F combustion turbines, capable of producing 225 MW each. Three would be built at OPPD’s existing Cass County Station and one at its new Turtle Creek Station, currently under construction in Sarpy County.
These units feature fast start-up capability and operational flexibility due to being dual-fuel capable for enhanced reliability. They are expected to be online by 2030.
The district expects to have nearly 700 MW of additional power generation capacity available by the end of this year, with Platteview Solar (81 MW), Turtle Creek’s original turbines (450 MW), and Standing Bear Lake Station (150 MW) all on track for completion.
“That doesn’t include other projects and potential projects in the works,” said OPPD Vice President of Systems Transformation Brad Underwood.
OPPD must not only have enough generation capacity to meet its own customers’ peak energy usage, but also a 15% reserve margin that the Southwest Power Pool requires of its members.
