OPPD hits record electricity peak this summer

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — A heatwave in late July pushed the Omaha Public Power District to a new record for electricity usage.

OPPD hit a new peak load record of about 3,285 megawatts, according to Grant Schulte, OPPD content generalist. Schulte said that figure is up about 10% from the previous year.

The record was set on July 27, when the temperature reached 99 degrees.

Weather’s role in the surge

First Alert 6 Senior Chief Meteorologist Rusty Lord said constant demand likely played a role in the record.

“It got to 99 that day, but the two days prior were in the triple digits, so it could have been something that just built on itself over time. People constantly running their air conditioners. Some of those nights only got down to about 80 for an overnight low, so it was no relief during the overnight hours,” Lord said.

OPPD has seen a new summer peak every year since 2021.

Growth beyond weather

The utility says weather is not the only factor driving demand.

“We’re attracting a lot of new industries. Large manufacturing, information, technology, medical fields, bio-ag, things like that. Both inside the Omaha Metro and beyond,” Schulte said.

Schulte said the growth of new businesses and communities is almost as demanding as extreme weather.

Planning for future demand

To address rising demand, OPPD has a plan to grow its electric grid.

“We are looking ahead five, ten years as far as, uh, trying to anticipate what electricity needs we’re going to have to fill and how we’re going to do that,” Schulte said.

“We build out to ensure that we have more than enough electricity for everyone,” Schulte said.

To to learn more and provide feedback about OPPD’s Integrated System Plan, you can visit OPPDCommunityConnect.com/ISP.