Home > U.S. Domestic Atlas > Nebraska > Nebraska Public Power, NE

Nebraska Public Power District
Dennis G. Hall, CEcD
Economic Development Mgr.
P.O. Box 499
Columbus, NE 68602
(800) 282-6773, ext 5534 (wk)
(402) 563-5090 (fax)
E-mail: dghall@nppd.com

Web: http://www.sites.nppd.com

 

General Background

Nebraska offers a menu of low-cost electricity, attractive locations, ample incentives, strong work ethic, and a quality of life second to none. The Nebraska Public Power District is "dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Nebraskans through our people and other public power assets." NPPD achieves this by partnering with state and local development corporations or chambers of commerce to help grow Nebraska's communities.

NPPD's Economic Development Team works with businesses wanting to expand or find the right site on which to build. One of the most rewarding parts of NPPD's role as the state's largest utility is introducing businesses to communities and supporting both with public power. Visit NPPD's Economic Development website sites.nppd.com for more information.

Nebraska's public power industry offers local control, low-cost, and high reliability in electric service. Nebraska returns industrial rates 37.7 percent below the national average and reinvests revenues into power plant and transmission assets for increased reliability. More than 5,000 miles of transmission lines make up NPPD's electrical grid system, which delivers power to approximately 1 million Nebraskans.

NPPD owns and operates a diverse mix of generation facilities throughout the state. This includes a nuclear plant, three steam plants, a combined-cycle facility, three hydropower plants, and the state's largest wind powered generation facility.

In addition, NPPD owns recreational facilities that provide hunting, fishing, boating and other quality of life experiences for residents and tourists.

Population of Location/Working Population of Location

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), the state's largest utility in terms of gross revenue, kilowatt-hour sales, and geographic area, is chartered to serve all or parts of 91 of Nebraska's 93 counties. In 2006, the estimated total population of the counties within NPPD's chartered area was 1,133,691, with a labor force of 633,460.

 

GDP by Industry

The estimated 2006 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for all 91 counties totaled $33,197 million (chain weighted 2000$). Agriculture-based industries, manufacturing, and transportation are major economic drivers within NPPD's service area.

 

 

Transport & Logistics (airports, motorways & ports)

Two major railroads serve the state - the BNSF Railway Company and the Union Pacific. Union Pacific's Bailey Yard in North Platte is the largest rail freight car classification yard in the world and UP's headquarters are in Omaha, Neb., one of the nation's major rail centers. In fact, the most direct mid-continent route to the West Coast passes through Nebraska with branches that terminate in Portland, Spokane, Seattle, and Los Angeles. There are 12 freight railroads operating more than 3,475 miles of track throughout Nebraska, and a reciprocal switching agreement is in effect for all railroads. No major city in the United States is more than five days away by rail from Nebraska.

Nebraska's central location and transportation services offer distinct advantages over other states. The state's communities are connected by a highway system that includes 8,539 miles of interstate, freeway, and arterial roads. This system includes a 482-mile stretch of Interstate Highway 80, the most traveled east-west transcontinental route of the interstate highway system.

Nebraska's access to national markets is enhanced by north-south interstate highways including I-29, which passes along the state's eastern border in Iowa, and I-25, which passes in close proximity to the state's western border. More than 8,000 licensed motor carriers with worldwide connections are based in Nebraska and serve businesses throughout North America. One-day motor carrier service is available from most Nebraska cities to Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.

Commercial airline service is available in nine Nebraska cities, providing direct service to major hubs. Scheduled air freight service is provided to five additional communities with one-demand service available. A total of 83 public-use airports are located throughout the state.

The Missouri River, on Nebraska's eastern border, provides a water link to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers maintains a 9-foot deep, 300-foot wide channel for 735 navigable miles from Sioux City to the mouth of the Missouri River near St. Louis. The free-flowing river with no locks or dams is navigable approximately eight months of the year.