FAQs
What is the purpose of this project?
OPPD must expand its electric transmission network in north Douglas County to serve increasing customer demand for electricity, provide additional capacity for economic development growth, support future electrical system enhancements, and maintain reliability. Staying ahead of increasing customer demand is vital as society becomes more dependent on technology-driven energy consumption.
OPPD is experiencing unprecedented usage growth, estimated at an average of 100 megawatts (MW) annually for at least the next decade. Transmission improvements will provide more reliable and resilient power to our service territory and enhance the system’s ability to withstand physical and weather-related threats. The project will support new infrastructure that is part of OPPD’s long-range plan for a balanced generation portfolio.
What will these transmission lines look like?
The older lattice towers will be replaced with steel monopoles, which have a smaller “footprint” on properties. However, the monopole design may mean it is taller than the existing lattice towers. More monopoles may be added to rebuilt segments, ranging in height from 160 to 190 feet. For comparison, the monopoles would not be as tall as the 200-foot Nebraska Crossing Water Tower in Gretna.
Will trees be cut down during construction?
Trees and power lines are not compatible. OPPD will remove trees within the easement and trees in danger of falling within 15 feet of the power line. Every effort will be made to limit the impacts to trees and vegetation, but some trees and brush must be cleared to prepare for construction and to enable reliable operation of the transmission lines.
What happens if OPPD doesn’t rebuild and expand this network?
If infrastructure upgrades aren’t made, the OPPD’s system could become less reliable and incapable of meeting increased peak demand for electricity as the area grows and existing customers continue to use more power.
How else is OPPD addressing the growth in eastern Nebraska?
The North Douglas County Transmission Project is one of many transmission infrastructure projects OPPD has underway. OPPD is examining its transmission, distribution, generation, and technology infrastructure across its service territory to expand its capabilities to meet the increasing demands of our customer-owners for more power.
Will the North Douglas County Transmission Project cause any outages for customers?
The North Douglas County Transmission Project is focused primarily on transmission system upgrades that generally do not directly cause outages for individual OPPD customers. However, some work involving the distribution lines to support the larger effort, especially along segment 1, may require short-term outages. With any planned outage, any impacted customers will be directly contacted in advance of that work taking place.