Sarpy Southwest Transmission Project

Power with Purpose

OPPD takes great pride in meeting the energy needs of today, while planning and preparing for the needs of the future. Papillion, Sarpy County and the entire greater Omaha area is currently experiencing rapid commercial, industrial and residential growth.

In 2019, OPPD's Power with Purpose project identified the need for up to 600MW of utility-scale solar and 600MW of balancing natural gas generation to support growing customer demands. The combined solution of utility-scale solar and natural gas continues to support our mission of providing affordable, reliable, environmentally sensitive energy services. While OPPD considers all three parts of our mission equally, new utility-scale solar and balancing natural gas power generation are now must-haves to support continued reliability.

In 2023, the OPPD Board of Directors voted to approve the utility’s recommended near term generation resource plan to address unprecedented growth in energy demand. With this new plan, OPPD remains committed to its Power with Purpose generation expansion projects, which includes Turtle Creek Station (MW), Standing Bear Lake Station (150 MW), and Platteview Solar (81 MW).

About the Sarpy Southwest Transmission Project

OPPD has completed routes for three separate transmission lines in the area that are needed to maintain system resiliency and reliability, as well as support customer load growth and future power generation.

A public hearing was held in October 2021 to meet with impacted landowners along the final transmission line route and for all those interested in the project to learn more about OPPD’s plans and ask questions about how the project will impact nearby property. A recording of the hearing and the presentation are available to view on this page.

Following the hearing, OPPD began the easement acquisition process. Right-of-way agents met with all directly impacted landowners to negotiate easement offers. OPPD employed an independent, licensed appraiser familiar with the area to prepare the property appraisals and took into consideration individual circumstances when determining the fair market value of each easement.

OPPD has finished the easement acquisition process, and construction activities have concluded. Construction activities included surveying, clearing and preparing the land, installing structure foundations and erecting the actual structures. Once structures were in place, wires were strung to connect transmission lines to the substation. OPPD has restored disturbed property and/or worked with the impacted landowners to assess and settle construction-related damages. A letter was sent to all directly impacted landowners on March 22, 2022 detailing construction activities. The letter is available to view here.

OPPD partnered with Dietzel Enterprises, Inc. and Brink Constructors, Inc. to construct the transmission lines.

Click here to download PDF of map

Routing Process & Public Input Opportunities

Initially, a project study area was defined to provide a general boundary for further evaluation before finalizing the transmission routes. Determining the paths for the transmission infrastructure occurred over the course of three phases.

While evaluating environmental, social, and engineering factors in the area, we also connected with the public and local stakeholders. We used stakeholder input and routing criteria to reduce the number of route segment options in each phase of this process.

During Phase 1 we sought your input regarding initial route segments on each of the potential route segment options.

In Phase 2 of the routing process, we used the input and data obtained in Phase 1 to narrow the segments to potential route alternatives for each of the three transmission lines. During this phase, we again consulted with community leaders, stakeholders and the public for additional input. The goal of this Phase was to learn as much about the remaining route segments for each of the transmission lines.

Online public meetings were held in Phase 1 and Phase 2 to receive input and answer questions about the project. For those who missed the meeting, recordings are available. If you have general questions about the project please scroll to the bottom of the page and Submit a Question.

In Phase 3 we further narrowed our options to final routes for each of the three transmission lines. In Phase 4 our communication with landowners continued through right-of-way activities as we determined transmission line alignments. Although our team worked to minimize the amount of right-of-way needed, temporary and permanent easements were necessary. As part of this project, OPPD acquired easements over and across private property for construction, operation, and maintenance of the transmission lines. The project concludes with property restoration activities.