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Construction Under Way on OPPD Power Plant The Nebraska City Station Will Be the Utility's First Big Power Plant Addition Since the 1970s. By Jonathan Wegner

Posted on: Thursday, 15 September 2005, 21:00 CDT

Construction has begun on the Omaha Public Power District's new $630 million power plant in Nebraska City.

OPPD officials and their contractor, Nebraska City Power Partners, held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for the district's first major power plant in more than 25 years.

Construction of the coal-fired plant is expected to have a threeyear economic impact of $250 million and will create 1,000 construction jobs, according to the contractor.

The decision to award the contract to an out-of-state, nonunion contractor met with some concern among Omaha labor leaders shortly after the announcement earlier this year.

OPPD chose the Nebraska City Power Partners' bid because it was $30 million lower than the next best bid, OPPD Board Chairman Anne McGuire said in a statement.

"Exhaustive study has shown this unit remains the best and least- cost option to our ratepayer-owners to meet the future demand we are sure to experience," she said.

John Bourne, business manager for Local 22 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said recent meetings with the contractor have gone well.

"I don't have any work yet," he said, "but we talked to them long and hard, and they seem like they're dealing with us fair."

In addition to the construction work, the plant also will create 60 new permanent jobs for which OPPD plans to begin hiring next year.

The plant will be able to generate 663 megawatts of power, 10 percent more than the district originally planned.

OPPD will use half of the plant's output. Seven other public power entities will consume the remaining capacity.

The plant is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Source: Omaha World - Herald

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