Owner/operator: Omaha Public Power District
Omaha Public Power District commissioned Unit 2 at its Nebraska City Station in May of this year. The new 682-MW unit joins Unit 1, which went commercial 30 years ago in the same month. The project is outfitted with all the requisite air quality control systems and sports a very good thermal efficiency. More importantly, the plant will provide reasonably priced power for customers of eight municipal utilities that share ownership of the plant’s electrical output. Those utilities paid for their portion of the construction cost and now receive a like portion of the electrical output from Unit 2 under a unique participation power agreement.
Nebraska Governor Dave Heinemann, officials of the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), and other dignitaries gathered at the Nebraska City Station (NCS) on July 10 to officially dedicate Unit 2, the newest plant, and the one with the lowest air emissions, in OPPD’s fossil fuel – fired fleet. Unit 2, the first new baseload plant OPPD has constructed in 30 years, will ensure a reliable energy supply for OPPD’s 340,000 customers located in all or parts of 13 counties in east and southeast Nebraska for many years to come (Figure 1).
1. Unit 2 is synched. Omaha Public Power District’s 682-MW Nebraska City Station Unit 2 (left) entered commercial service on May 1, 2009, 30 years to the month after the 648-MW Unit 1 began service (right). Courtesy: OPPD
Nebraska City Station Unit 2 (NC2), located on the Missouri River about five miles south of the town of Nebraska City, adds 682 MW to OPPD’s 2,548 MW of existing capacity, raising the utility’s total generating capacity to 3,211 MW, an increase of 27%. OPPD originally contracted for 663 MW, but recent performance tests have shown the unit capable of producing 682 MW, which was excellent news for the project team.
OPPD will use only half of the plant’s generation for its customers’ needs; the remaining half will go to seven other public power entities.
"This plant is a wise investment in energy security for our customer-owners, allowing us to provide the generation needed to satisfy the increasing demand for electricity for many years to come," said OPPD President Gary Gates. In his remarks at the plant dedication in July, Gates noted that the new plant was completed on time and several million dollars under budget.
The timing of construction proved beneficial for OPPD and the other utilities participating in the project, observed Gates, adding that costs for similar plants now under construction elsewhere are significantly higher.
The 646-MW Nebraska City Station Unit 1 (NC1) entered commercial service on May 31, 1979, and reached the milestone of producing 100 million MWh net of electricity on Feb. 2, 2009. In recent years, NC1 has consistently ranked among the lowest cost-of-production steam electric power plants in the U.S.
OPPD’s baseload generating resources now include the two coal-fired units at NCS, five units at the 646-MW North Omaha Station, and the 484-MW Fort Calhoun Station nuclear plant. These three baseload plants, which provide most of the power used by OPPD’s customer-owners, are augmented by three peaking plants and miscellaneous renewable energy resources, which include wind power and a baseload landfill gas – fired plant.
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