Opinion ID: 1732871
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: metering

Text: The amount of electric power and energy delivered to the Municipality hereunder shall be measured at 4160 wye volts at the Point of Delivery or adjusted to the Point of Delivery by suitable metering equipment furnished, installed, maintained, calibrated, and read by the District at its expense. Under the above provisions of the wholesale power contract, NPPD is required to deliver electricity at distribution voltage, i.e., 4.16 KV, or 4,160 volts. In order to make that delivery, the transmission voltage must be transformed. Meters to measure consumption by the distribution system would have to be placed on the low voltage side of the substation. A stepdown substation, including transformer, is essential to performance of the contract. In sum, if NPPD does not own the parts of the substation necessary to work the transformation, it must either lease or purchase from York the necessary equipment and site or it must acquire another site at the points of delivery and construct an additional substation, thus rendering the existing substation useless. Neither course would contribute to the public policy underlying Nebraska's encouragement of publicly owned utilities and of providing power to consumers at as low overall cost as possible and avoidance of duplication of facilities. Neb.Rev.Stat. §§ 70-1001 and 70-655 (Reissue 1981); City of Lincoln v. Nebraska P.P. Dist., 191 Neb. 556, 216 N.W.2d 722 (1974). The City of York itself would benefit financially by a sale or lease of the substation to NPPD, but the statutes authorizing such sale do not require it to use the proceeds of the sale for the benefit of electrical utility customers within the municipality. Neb.Rev.Stat. § 70-504 (Reissue 1981). We conclude that the trial court was clearly wrong in its determination of the issue. We reverse and remand with directions to enter a judgment finding that all of the equipment of the substations on the low voltage side is the property of York; that the superstructure and all equipment, including transformers on the high voltage side of the substations, are the property of NPPD. The evidence makes it clear that both York and NPPD must have access to each substation for maintenance of its property and to protect its facilities thereon and those other utility properties connected thereto. Accordingly, we direct that title to the sites, i.e., the real estate, be quieted in the Nebraska Public Power District and that the City of York be granted an easement of ingress and egress thereon so long as the sites are used for present purposes. Any practical problems related to the common use of the sites and equipment of the parties connected to the substations will have to be worked out by agreement between the parties. REVERSED AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS. CLINTON, J., participating on briefs.