Summer 2009 Ideas magazine

cover story:Gallup ReceivesHarding Award for Energy Management

Summer 2009

Ideas MagazineIdeas is published by Omaha Public Power District for its commercial and industrial customers. The magazine promotes the efficient use of energy and provides information about new technology in the energy industry.

Editor Paula LukowskiOPPD, 444 S. 16th St. Mall, 3EP/EP1 Omaha, NE 68102-2247 [email protected]

Production EditorJoe ComstockContributorsChris Cobbs Terry ZankDjango Greenblatt-Seay Laurie ZagurskiVicker SykesPhotography Larry Larson

ENERGY STAROPPD is a proud ENERGY STAR partner. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, helping consum-ers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

About OPPDOmaha Public Power District is a publicly owned utility that serves more than 331,000 customers in 13 counties in south-eastern Nebraska. OPPD’s commercial and industrial rates are consistently below the national average.

For more information on OPPD, please visit www.oppd.com.

Inside

OPPD ideas/summer 2009 3

High Hopes ........ 14Crews use helicopters to reach and replace equipment on transmission towers.

ContinuousCommissioning .. 13Companies can reduce their energy costs and more.

Gallup Wins Harding Award ... 4While Gallup’s foundation is based on asking the right questions, the organization’s phi-losophy clearly revolves around doing the right things.

Scholars ...............9OPPD awards J.M. Harding Memorial Scholarships.

See the Light ..... 10Companies can save money and energy with Lighting Incentive Program.

Power Drive ....... 16“Track stars” from 60 schools com-pete in electric vehicle program.

Tree-mendous Effort ................. 17OPPD awards tree grants and receives honor from Arbor Day Foundation. Workers Energize Midtown Crossing

OPPD started work to energize Midtown Crossing in April. A $300 million development taking shape east of Mutual of Omaha, Midtown Crossing will include office, retail and condo space.

OPPD personnel have worked closely with the Weitz Construc-tion management team over the last several years to make sure the project runs smoothly.

OPPD to Boost Renewable ResourcesOPPD announced some significant energy-related goals that

involve boosting the amount of renewable resources it uses to generate electricity.

OPPD’s goal is to reduce energy demand 50 megawatts by the end of 2012 by offering customers a variety of energy-efficiency programs. OPPD’s Sustainable Energy & Environmental Steward-ship Division is developing these programs.

In addition, by the year 2020, 10 percent of the energy OPPD provides its customers will be produced with renewable resources.

To reach that target, OPPD plans to add approximately 400 megawatts of renewable energy to its portfolio of power, with around 118 megawatts of that coming within the next two years in the form of wind generation.

By 2020, 45 percent of OPPD’s electricity supply – or about 6.5 million megawatt-hours – will come from non-carbon-emitting generating resources. This includes power produced at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station and hydroelectric power purchased from the Western Area Power Administration.

“Over the years, OPPD has worked hard to maintain a good mix of fuel sources,” OPPD President Gary Gates said. “That mix includes coal, natural gas, nuclear, landfill gas, wind and some federal hydro power. This diverse approach has enabled us to provide reliable and affordable power, and we are excited that we can now boost the renewable energy sources in this mix.”

To ensure reliable power when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining, OPPD plans to increase the generating capac-ity of Fort Calhoun Station by 75 megawatts by the year 2013. Around the same time, OPPD plans to upgrade Cass County Station to increase the output of this peaking plant by more than 200 megawatts.

Midtown Crossing’s diverse offerings will include a five-screen movie theater.

G


Gallup-affiliated organiza-tions in the United States and throughout the world have assessed public opinion on a wide range of political, social, and economic issues since 1935.

Having studied human nature and behavior for more than 70 years, Gallup has earned a reputation for delivering relevant, timely and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel: their hopes and fears, their leisure-time activities, their morals and manners, and their religious and political beliefs. Opinion polling is the cornerstone of the orga-nization.

While keeping a pulse on the world, Gallup takes preservation of earth’s resources to heart.

Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows that Americans’ confidence in U.S. banks in-creased by a small but significant degree during May 7-11, the days immediately after release of the banking “stress test” results. – Gallup Poll, May 13, 2009

Although 22% of Americans report worrying about getting swine flu, only very small percentages say they have modified their behavior in terms of shopping, airline travel, use of mass transit, work, or sending children to school as a result of their concern. – Gallup Poll, April 29, 2009

The first in Gallup’s “State of the States” series reveals that Rhode Island, Massa-chusetts, and Hawaii are the most Democratic states in the nation, along with the District of Columbia. Utah and Wyoming are the most Republican states. – Gallup Poll, Jan. 28, 2009

Gallup WinsEnergy Award

J.M. Harding Award of Excellence

At left, Gallup associates col-laborate in a conference room overlooking the Missouri River. Photo courtesy Gallup.

And while the company continues and enhances the mission started by its founder, the late Dr. George Gallup, Gallup also serves as a leader in energy manage-ment and environmental stewardship.

For its energy-manage-ment efforts at the Gallup campus and operational headquarters in Omaha,

OPPD has presented Gallup with the J.M. Harding Award of Excellence.

OPPD has honored one of its commercial or industrial customers with the Harding Award for demonstrating efficient and innovative use of energy since 1984. The award is named for the first president of OPPD, J.M. Harding.

The Gallup Riverfront campus hosts over 27 species of plants in its 10-acre wildflower and natural grass field leading into the campus.

OPPD ideas/summer 2009 76 OPPD ideas/summer 2009

Gallup’s 2,000 profession-als deliver services at client organizations, through the web, at Gallup University’s campuses, and in 40 offices around the world.Doing the right things

While Gallup’s foundation is based on asking the right questions, the organization’s philosophy clearly revolves around doing the right things, particularly in the areas of environmental stew-ardship and energy appli-cations. Gallup’s picture-perfect facility overlooking the Missouri River showcases numerous examples of each.

Gallup helped lead the development of the Omaha riverfront by choosing the 50 acres for its headquarters campus, which opened in 2003. The 305,000-square-foot main building encom-passes an area the size of five football fields and serves as a “town square” for the planned office cam-pus. Gallup is adding a 100,000-square-foot addition to its campus, scheduled for completion this fall.

“We are quite proud of our LEED certification at the silver level,” said Ed Miller, Vice President of Facilities for Gallup.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a build-ing or community performs across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emis-sions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

“The addition also will pave the way with envi-ronmental design by incor-porating one of the largest green roofs in Omaha,” said Miller, who added that the green roof was one of the criteria that will help with Gallup’s higher LEED rat-ing. The roof space will have a substantial area covered with native grasses and flow-ers. (See “What is a Green Roof?” box.)Using Energy Wisely

In October 2008, the Gallup campus completed a Continuous Commission-ingSM (CCSM) project that reduced electricity demand by 14.6 percent, electricity consumption by 28.9 per-cent and gas consumption by 20.2 percent, based on seven month’s of utility data since the project was com-pleted.

OPPD offers CC services

to customers in cooperation with the Energy Systems Laboratory of the Univer-sity of Nebraska – Lincoln, based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aksar-ben campus.

At Gallup, the CC servic-es resulted in the following energy-saving measures:

• Optimization of the hot water pump speed and temperature control

• Implementation of CC fan airflow station technology on all nine air-handling units

• Integration of outside air control with return fan speed control

• Implementation of CC pump flow station tech-nology in the chilled and condenser water pumps

• Fine-tuning of 304 sin-gle-duct terminal boxes

What is a Green Roof?A green roof, like this one below, being installed at Gallup, is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, planted over a waterproofing mem-brane. Long popular in Europe, green rooftops are gaining popularity in the U.S. to reduce en-ergy costs and add beauty to the urban landscape. An aerial view of most urban areas shows swathes of asphalt, black tar and gravel-ballasted rooftops. Heat radiates off of the dark roofs, and water rushes over the hard, impermeable surfaces. Green roofs:

• keep the roof cooler, minimizing energy bills • reduce storm-water runoff• protect the roof membrane from sunlight, which breaks

down the roofing material• improve air quality• provide a source of oxygen and a habitat for birds

Gallup Engagement Manager Vicki Sloan, left, Vice President of Facilities for Gallup Ed Miller and Chief Operating Officer Jane Miller work from the Gallup campus. A large water feature in the atrium area provides a calming backdrop, while large windows provide natural light and scenic views.

Award Has Honored Excellence For 26 Years

Gallup joins a distinguished group of commercial and indus-trial customers that have been honored by OPPD since 1984 for efficient and innovative use of energy.

The award is named for J. M Harding, OPPD’s first president. Harding served in that capac-ity for 20 years and built OPPD into the most progressive public power district in the state.

Past Winners2008 – NatureWorks2007 – Mutual of Omaha2006 – Millard Public Schools2005 – Methodist Health System2004 – The Lund Company2003 – Henry Doorly Zoo2002 – Creighton University2001 – Westside Community Schools2000 – Offutt Air Force Base1999 – University of Nebraska Medical Center1998 – Baker’s Supermarkets1997 – Bellevue Public Schools1996 – First National Bank1995 – 3M Valley1994 – Nebraska Furniture Mart1993 – First Data Resources, Inc.1992 – KVI Associates, Inc.1991 – Omaha Public Schools1990 – Mutual of Omaha Companies1989 – Wilkinson Manufacturing 1988 – Campbell Soup Company1987 – Control Data Corporation1986 – Vickers1985 – AT&T – Omaha Works1984 – Valmont Industries, Inc.

As a result, Gallup per-sonnel have noticed fewer comfort complaints in the facility and improved sys-tem reliability, and they have eliminated building

pressure-control issues.Gallup’s investment in the

riverfront is paying off for the community and for the employees working there.

In mid-May, landscapers installed an energy-saving “green roof’ on top of an addition being built on the south side of the Gallup cam-pus. Native grasses and flowers will cover most of the roof, while ornamental trees will be planted in large planter boxes.

Native wildflowers grace the rooftop.

Continued


Gallup Green and Philanthropic Initiatives• An addition to the Gallup campus will have a “green roof,” covered with native plantings.

• The Riverfront campus includes a 10-acre natural habitat that promotes wildlife, minimizes water consumption and runoff, and does not require fertilizer or pesticides.

• Each year, Gallup recycles an average of 160 tons of material, including cardboard, newspa-per, office paper, aluminum and more.

• A “green team” of associates works to ensure Gallup is a leader in terms of environmental stewardship, sharing tips and promoting green efforts for use at home and at work.

• Gallup’s technology team created a program that allows associates to reuse home computers in exchange for a donation to the organization’s Community Builders philanthropic initiative. Refurbished computers are donated to local schools and youth clubs.

• Gallup’s philanthropic focus on youth, leadership, diversity and education offers children in the community support and opportunities to follow their goals and dreams.

With ample natural light, picturesque views in every direction and comfortable work areas, it’s clearly a facility that fosters creative, productive and engaged employees.

Gallup research has shown that engaged employees are more pro-ductive, profitable, safer, create stronger customer relationships, and stay longer with their com-pany than less-engaged employees. This latest research indicates that workplace engagement is also a powerful factor in catalyzing “outside-the-box” thinking to improve management and busi-ness processes, as well as customer service.

Many energy-saving improvements made to air-handling units and chilled and condensed water pumps in this equipment room resulted in cost savings, as well. Gallup building maintenance personnel, from the left in white shirts, Darin League, Mike Morock and Bruce Rieckman, discuss the equipment with OPPD Account Executive Mark Purnell.

OPPD awarded J.M. Harding Memorial Scholarships to Troy Bailey of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Song Zheng of Creighton University. Both students juggle busy schedules and have their sights set on careers in their fields of study.

Bailey, a junior majoring in con-struction engineering technology, is interested in heavy highway construction or the field of geothermal energy.

“My interest in geothermal heating and cooling has made me think about starting my own com-pany to design and install those types of systems,” said Bailey, son of Doug and Jackie Bailey of Elk-horn, and a graduate of Elkhorn High School.

Bailey has been on the dean’s list four semesters. He enjoys outdoor activities, such as camping, hunting and fishing, as well as extreme sports, including motocross, wakeboarding and snowboarding. He coaches a select base-ball team, helps out with Little League baseball in Elkhorn and also helps with field maintenance and park clean-up in Elkhorn.

Zheng, a Creighton sophomore who is studying inter-national business, speaks two dialects of Chinese, English and a little Spanish. Originally from China, Zheng attend-ed Bryan High School, where he ranked fourth out of 341 students. At Creighton, he has earned a spot on the dean’s list each semester, with a 3.75 grade point average.

Zheng is the son of Chang Zheng and Yu Wang. His involvement with the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and Future Business Leaders of America earned him state recognition. He placed fourth in market-ing management in DECA at the regional level.

Zheng’s activities at Creighton include Peer 2 Peer, the Anna Tyler Waite Leadership Program and the Asian Student Association. In the community, he has worked with Hunger Clean Up, Boy Scouts of America and Youth 2 Youth, as well as visited nursing home and pediatric patients.

Zheng also enjoys reading, playing basketball and hanging out with his friends.

Ambitious Students Receive Harding Memorial Scholarships

Troy Bailey of the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Song Zheng of Creighton University

W


With profits squeezed in a difficult economy, many businesses are searching for ways to trim expenses.

OPPD is lighting the way with a pilot program that can assist thrifty-minded customers in a couple of ways, as well as help the utility reduce demand for electricity.

Launched in late February, OPPD’s Lighting Incentive Program can make it attrac-

tive for business and indus-trial customers to retrofit or replace lighting, which often accounts for one-third or more of a monthly util-ity bill.

There can be multiple benefits – energy savings, better light quality, new look and longer lamp life – for a business that hasn’t recently upgraded its light-ing, says Dave Tallon, senior field engineer.

See the LIGHT

Save money, energy with Lighting Incentive Program.

The primary return will be less money wasted on out-dated or inefficient lighting. As an example, if a customer spends $100 a month on power, as much as $40 may go to lighting. By upgrading, a customer could save up to 40 percent on lighting, or $16 out of a $100 utility bill.

“Energy is a bigger line item on budgets these days, and there are some really antiquated lighting systems

out there,’’ Tallon says. “There are many new effi-cient lighting choices in flu-orescent and high-intensity discharge lighting.’’

In addition, customers can reap rewards that come with a happier workforce that doesn’t have to listen to the buzz of overhead lights or struggle to read in a flick-ering office space.

“Studies show a higher quality of lighting makes

for happier and healthier workers,’’ says Judy Sunde, Project Manager of Market Strategies. “Companies see a reduction in sick time and more productivity with new lighting systems in place. Workers like it when that annoying hum goes away.’’

In the midst of a pro-nounced economic down-turn, the timing is right for the program. “For some time, we have had interest


Through the Continuous CommissioningSM (CCSM) Program, companies can reduce their energy costs by 15 to 50 percent or more while resolving operating problems, improving com-fort and optimizing energy use.

In 2008 alone, 3 mil-lion kilowatt-hours were saved through four CC projects completed in 2007, according to Jinrong Wang, manager - Commercial and Industrial Solutions at OPPD. The saved electricity is enough to provide power for 227 homes. In addition, peak demand was reduced by 350 kilowatts through two CC projects.

Since 2001, OPPD has offered CC services to cus-tomers in cooperation with the Energy Systems Labora-tory of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Aksarben cam-pus.

Mingsheng Liu, Ph.D, P.E., serves as director of Energy Systems Laboratory and is the primary founder of the Continuous Commissions process. He’s the primary author of the Building Con-tinuous Commissioning Guidebook, developed for the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to joining UNL, Dr. Liu served as group leader of the Continuous

among customers wanting to look at ways to reduce their lighting bills,” Tallon said. “But we didn’t have a good closure rate on light-ing retrofitting because there

wasn’t an incentive plan in place to help buy down the cost. We now have a chance to spur ret-rofitting or replacing of inefficient light-ing.’’

OPPD is work-ing with 39 Light-ing Trade Allies to promote no-cost lighting audits for customers. These are local and regional contractors who have attended OPPD Lighting Incen-tive informational meetings. For a list of contractors who have registered with OPPD, go to www.

oppd.com/businesscus-tomers and click on Lighting Trade Allies.

“The Lighting Trade Ally will look closely at a com-pany’s existing equipment, evaluate its condition and efficiency and offer a recom-mendation to the custom-er,’’ Tallon said. “We would like to point out there may be more than one solution, and a customer has the abil-ity to meet with more than one of our Lighting Trade Allies.’’

No two businesses have exactly the same lighting needs. In fact, different departments within the same company may have different requirements. For example, an IT department

might need low-level ambi-ent lighting, in contrast with a Quality Assurance department, which would need a higher level of light-ing to enable staff to clearly discern detail, Tallon said.

OPPD’s Lighting Incentive pilot program is similar to others in use in Nebraska and closely follows industry best practices.

To begin the process, an OPPD customer contacts a Lighting Trade Ally for an evaluation of its current lighting system. Next, the customer receives a proposal for the number of lights that would be needed and the cost to execute the job.

The customer then sends the proposal to OPPD for pre-approval. Once the go-ahead is received, there is a 90-day time limit for the customer to have the work finished and submit an invoice to OPPD for payment of the economic incentive. OPPD will send a check within 45 days, Judy Sunde said.

Along with helping cus-tomers cut waste, OPPD hopes to reduce demand by 1,000 kW in 2009 via the pilot program, she said. The program also supports a reduction in peak demand, which occurs about 5 p.m. on hot summer afternoons.

“We are about 25 per-cent of the way to achieving our goal of a reduction of 1,000 kW in 2009,’’ Judy Sunde said. “Depending on the outcome the rest of the year, we will then evaluate our plans for next year.’’

OPPD replaced office light-ing at Energy Plaza, resulting in brighter light and reduced energy costs.

CC Project Helps VA Medical Center WithFederal Energy Reduction Requirements

A Continuous Commissioning project at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Omaha, pictured below, significant-ly reduced energy consumption and energy costs.

Since the project was completed in fiscal year 2008, energy costs have been reduced by more than $200,000, and the VA facility’s energy index is approaching the federal energy reduction requirement.

OPPD and Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Nebraska worked on the project, with technical assistance from the Federal Energy Management Program. Thanks to CC improvements, control system upgrades and continuous training, the VA staff has been able to optimize energy usage and operation throughout the facility, which has improved the facility’s reliability, operation, safety and comfort.

The project will serve as an example for other VA hospitals in the region, and possibly nationwide.

Continuous Commissioning Projects Result in Improved Operations, Reduced Costs and Energy Savings

Commissioning Group at the Energy System Labora-tory at Texas A&M.

Liu’s extensive research projects focus on the mechanical aspects of heat-ing, ventilating and air-con-ditioning, as well as building energy management control systems.

“We are fortunate to have this expertise at our dispos-

al,” said Tim Burke, OPPD vice president. “Through our partnership, OPPD has been able to help customers make energy-efficiency improve-ments, which saves them money and allows us to put off building additional generating facilities. We’re confident that many other customers will benefit from this program in the future.”

OPPD ideas/summer 2009 1514 OPPD ideas/spring 2009

High-line maintenance takes flight via helicopter

More than 1,100 OPPD transmission towers stretching

from the Kansas-Missouri border at Rulo, Neb., to the Iowa

border near Sioux City are being reinforced with steel knee

braces. The old wooden braces had started showing signs of

deterioration.

These H-frame structures hold transmission lines that

carry up to 345,000 volts of electricity. The braces are used to

support the cross-arms on these structures.

Use of the helicopters allows the replacement work to be

done quickly and efficiently, while the transmission lines are

energized. Helicopters transport the crews that are doing the

maintenance work, which takes about 15 minutes on each

structure, alleviating the need for OPPD crews to access the

property.

At left and above, a contractor works on an OPPD transmission line. Photos by Kyle Wullschleger.

High Hopes


Power Drive Showcases Student Efforts

Students from 60 schools participated in the 11th an-nual Power Drive Program.

Power Drive, the largest program of its kind in the nation, is an educational effort that challenges high

OPPD Awards Tree Grants to Several Community Groups

OPPD awarded grants to 31 tree-planting projects as part of its Tree Promotion Program. The projects promote energy efficiency and/or beautification, and will be located on public property within the district’s 13-county service territory.

The awards were presented to the groups at an Arbor Day event at Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha.

From churches to homeowners associations, each group received up to $2,500 toward a specific project. For example, this year the Joslyn Castle Trust was awarded a grant to help replace trees lost during the major storm last July.

Arbor Day Foundation Recognizes OPPD for Ninth Year

The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized OPPD as a Tree Line USA Utility for 2009, OPPD’s ninth consecutive year for this designation. The Tree Line USA program is sponsored by the foundation, in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters.

To receive the honor, utilities must have:• A program of quality tree care• Annual worker training in quality tree care practices• A public education program that includes tree planting

16 OPPD ideas/summer 2009

TrAck STArSschool students to design and build one-person electric vehicles during the course of the school year. In the spring, these teams of students compete with one another at organized rallies.

OPPD created Power Drive in 1998 to give students a

practical way to apply their math, science and construc-tion skills, and to promote the development of electric-powered vehicles. Nebraska Public Power District joined the effort and has helped co-sponsor the event for several years.

Bancroft-Rosalie won the standard class at the Power Drive Championships on May 2, while another Bancroft-Rosalie car took top honors in the advanced class. In the exhibition class, Mid-Plains Community College won the endurance rally.

The Championships took place at the Mid-America Motorplex in Pacific Junc-tion, Iowa. These competi-tions take into account the teams’ performance in the braking, maneuverability and endurance events, as well as design/construction and documentation.

Kindergartners from Bancroft Elementary helped OPPD Board Member Anne McGuire and OPPD Vice President Tim Burke plant a tree at Lauritzen Gardens on Arbor Day. OPPD donated the tree.

Contact Information

For more information about the products or services featured in this issue, please call (402) 636-3536.

Economic Development ......................... 402-636-3726 Toll-Free Number ............................... 888-781-4415

Energy Reviews ...................................... 402-636-3536

Heat Pump Program Commercial and Industrial ................. 402-636-3536

Multifamily Dwellings and Condos ................................................ 402-636-3752

Performance Contracting ...................... 402-636-3536

Power-Quality Reviews .......................... 402-636-3536

Real-Time Energy Monitoring ............... 402-636-3536

Standby Generation & Curtailment Program ............................. 402-636-3536

Summary Billing ..................................... 402-536-4131 Toll-Free Number ............................... 877-536-4131

Thermal-Conductivity Testing ............... 402-636-3536

Account ExecutivesCustomer service is a top priority at OPPD. Our account executives specialize in different industries and are able to help large commercial and indus-trial customers with many energy-related issues, including added service for new/expanded facili-ties, new technologies. A list of account executives by business sector is available at www.oppd.com > Business Customers > Customer Service > Account Executives. You also may contact 636-3536.

Electrical Service DesignersElectrical Service Designers (ESDs) are the primary customer interface for line-extension requests, load-addition requests, equipment relocations, or other operational requirements related to com-mercial and residential customers. A complete list of ESDs is available at www.oppd.com > Business Customers > Customer Service > Electrical Service Designers. You also may contact the office nearest you:

Elkhorn ................................................. 552-5830Omaha/Papillion .................................. 552-5330Louisville ............................................... 552-5521Syracuse ............................................... 552-4030


OPPD Receives J.D. Power Award for Business Customer Satisfaction

J.D. Power and Associates has honored OPPD for the ninth time, this time for business customer satisfaction. The widely known marketing information services firm has released the results of its 2009 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction StudySM.

The study is based on interviews with representatives of more than 15,400 U.S. businesses that spend between $500 and $50,000 a month on electricity. In a news release, J.D. Power and Associates said OPPD ranks highest in the Midwest region.

“We’ve never asked to be included in such J.D. Power surveys, which makes these awards even more meaningful to us,” OPPD President Gary Gates said. “The survey results serve as an inde-pendent measurement of our customers’ satisfaction, which is invalu-able.”

Overall customer satisfaction results are based on six factors:

• Power quality and reliability• Billing and payment• Corporate citizenship• Price• Communications• Customer service

Hybrid Basket Truck Joins OPPD Fleet

OPPD has added another first-in-the-state vehicle to its fleet: a newly designed hybrid basket truck, which will be used by OPPD troubleshooters. The latest in hybrid technology, the truck combines a diesel engine with an electric motor and promises increased fuel efficiency and reduced engine emissions.

Like other hybrid vehicles, the basket truck features a re-chargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery is recharged by the engine when it is running and by a regenerative braking system that kicks in when the vehicle’s brakes are applied or when the

vehicle is coasting.In addition, in Novem-

ber, OPPD became the first utility in the state to add a plug-in hybrid vehicle to its fleet. One of the main reasons is to see how these vehicles perform in Ne-braska weather conditions, including the cold days of winter.

If you haven’t been to www.oppd.com recently, you might want to check it out. It includes special sections for business customers and con-tractors & developers, as well as an Aim Green section.

The hybrid looks much like any other line truck.

Taking AimProject GreenFlick Winners Popular on YouTube

444 South 16th Street MallOmaha, Nebraska 68102-2247

Address Service Requested

OPPD Vice President Tim Burke awarded prize money to third-place winners, from left, Kaleigh Davis, Laura Salkeld and Hannah Zabka.

A program to get high school students interested in OPPD’s aimgreenomaha.com website – the utility’s headquarters for environmental ideas, planet-friendly information and energy-saving enter-tainment – was a big success. By mid-May, the top three entries combined had been viewed more than 1,600 times.

Students in the OPPD service area were charged with producing creative and informative videos about energy efficiency or environmental aware-ness. The videos were judged based on relevance, informational content and creativity.

Omaha North High School students submitted the first- and third-place videos in OPPD’s Project GreenFlick competition, and a home-school team took second place. The winners and their prize win-nings:

First place, $500: “Bad Energy Karma.” The video tells the story of Karma, who wastes energy and doesn’t consider the consequences of her actions.

Second place, $250: “Typographical Error.” In this clever and humorous animated short, a trio of

How is your company Aiming Green? Please send us a note if you would like to share your story with our readers. Email [email protected].

On the cover:While Gallup built its business on asking the right questions, the organization’s philoso-phy clearly revolves around doing the right things, particularly in the areas of environ-mental stewardship and energy applications. For its energy management efforts at the Gallup campus and operational headquarters in Omaha, OPPD is presenting Gallup with its J.M. Harding Award of Excellence.

PresortedStandard

U.S. PostagePAID

Omaha, NEPermit 97

characters discover how much they help the environment.

Third place, $125: “Recycle.” Girls take an adventure with their recycling bin and tell facts about recycling and conserving.

OPPD also awarded prize money to the win-ning entrants’ schools.

The winning videos and other entries can be viewed at aimgreenomaha.com.

Summer 2009 Ideas magazine

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