The Omaha guide., 1956-01-20
O.P.P.D. Lists 1855 AS Biggest Year
I'm History

O.P.P.D. Lists 1855 AS Biggest Year
In History
Business was good at the Omaha Public Power District again in
1855. This fact wa brought out as General Manager Frank j Moylan
made his preliminary yearend report to the Board of Directors Thurs
day. The Districts audited Annual Report will be published April l..
Revenues Up
Operating revenues for the year toted SIC, 487, TIT - an increase
Of sl;5S7,ll6 or 84% over 1854. Of the total, $ls,256821 came from
the sale of electricity. and the balance from the sale of steam and
miscellaneous revenues.
With the exception of electric sales to the Street Railway Company,
Mr MOyan said, revenues from all classes of customers we're up over
1854
Expenses Up
OPPD operating expenses for 1855 totaed Sl09 ,103. This was
88% or s884,468 higher than 1854, and was due to the increased
volume of the Districts business and other increases in operating
costs.
Net income for the year was s4.525s BAL, the highest in the history
of the District 1t exceeded 1854. the previous high year, by $233,47O
or 54%. This net income is available for the retirement of bonded
indebtedness. and for improvements and extensions to the property.
The Districts net bonded indebtedness at year-end was $74,oOoooo.
Healthy Growth
Both customer demands and the number of customers reached
new highs.
A milestone was passed during the year when kilowat hour sales
for II months exceeded one billion Sales for the year amounted to
1907 1888 800 kiOwatt hours. an increase of 1o5,272,eoo, or 1867,
over 1854
The number of customers served by the District increased
to 11o11s during 1855. This represented 4,os1 new customers,
for a 3s% rise.
Increased klowatt hour use per residential customer continued
amounted to 31s7 XVIII. as compared to 1904 XVIII in 1854.
This represents a gain Of 23 XVIII per customer, or 1917.
The Edison Electric Institute estimates the national annual
average to be 2755 kilowatt hours per residential customer. The
Districts average customer uses 422 XVIII more per year, or 1870
more electricity, than the national average.
Rates Below Average
On the other hand, oPPD residential rates were well below
the average charged throughout the United States. Average cost
per kilowatt hour for homes served by the District was 233c.
The national average again estimated by the Edison Electric In
sutute) was 264c- Thus oPPDs rate was 117% below the ma
other highights of 1855 operations included:
l. A total of Say3l28l5 was spent for extensions and addi
tons to generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and
general property
2 Maximum hour requirements Of customers scared to 24s.5lo
klowatts on August ga new record.
:. Gross monthly requirements set a new record of 127,s81,
BOO klowatt hours in July.
4 At December 81, 1855. the District had 1,o4o regular en-
ployees. as compared with e84 at the close of 1854.
oPPD. TO BUILD NEW GENERATING UNIT
100000 XIV Addition To Cost $l6ssooooo
Directors Of the Omaha Public Power District Thursday auth
orized the construction OF a third generating unit at the utlitys
North Omaha Power Station 1t will be a 100000 kilowat addition
and will be known as Unit No. g.
Pioneer Service and Engineering Company, Chicago, Illinois.
was awarded the contract al engineers for the project.
estimated at $~l6,50000O.
Unit No 2 also a 100000 klOwatt addition, is now under
construction and will be in operation by May ], 1857.
$685. More Power
Upon completion of the two additions, oPPDs total generating
capacity will be boosted by 500, to a total of 100000 klowatts
Present capacity Of the system is 100000 klowatts.
Cost of the new addition, including the structure housing it
and the substation, will be S15500O0. The river intake will
cost an additional million dollars. This intake will be large
enough to serve Unit Ne. 3 and one additional future unit.
Power Demands Soar
Decision to build Unit No. 8 at North Omaha came as
a result of a booming $1,000 klowatt peak load increase in the
past two years TINS plus 2 load growth estimate for the next
three years, shows that if the new unit were not built OPPD
would be short up to 41,OOO klowats Of reserve capacity by 1859,
and the system load would exceed the Districts total capablty
by 1860.
Directors pointed Out that any capacity of the new unit not
Immediately required by oPPD will be available for sale to in
terconnected utilities for a limited period of time.
No Bureau Power
OPPD directors made every effort to purchase needed firm
power from the Bureau of Reclamation's Missouri River hydro
electric plants before they authorized the construction of the new
North Omaha unit However, the Board was advised in October
~ Harold r Lee. Regional superintendent of Power for the Bureau
of Reclamation, that no power will be available to OPPD from
the Bureau in 1889 and 1860. Initial generation at Oahe Dam is
. = for december, 1861. Procedure governing the DISPOSE
a. IS fhis nower "has not been determined" Mr. Lee said
However, directors made it clear that before any future OPPD
ur;ss are built beyond present p tanned construction, complete in
.~t;o.tions of the availability of Bureau power will again be made.
Atomic Power Ruled Out
The new generating unit will be a conventional fuelburning
lat Atomic power for the needed additional OPPD gen.
s~sHre canacitv was ruled out for several reasons.
psss;dsrs ] M Harding pointed out that Nebraska will have