Omaha Needs Rules on Public Power

OPPD Consumers Need Tree Penalty

Right now, OPPD is reviewing Economic Strategic Directive 11 and considering changes to it. You can see it and provide feedback at link below:
https://www.oppdcommunityconnect.com/oppd-board-of-directors-sd-11

This will probably be controversial because the proposal crosses out “environmentally sensitive energy” but this could apply to bird killing windmills as well as supposed “climate change”.

However, there are now calls for Omaha to have a “climate change action” plan. (https://www.wowt.com/2022/04/20/omaha-experts-call-city-create-climate-change-action-plan/) The advocates have a point, but it is widely delusional. Omaha needs to take action against power disruptions. More specifically from Silver Maple trees being entangled in power lines, breaking and cutting off power. Silver Maples are fast growing softwood trees and voluntarily grow in people’s yards. A large Silver Maple can lose many branches over its lifetime and do much damage to power lines.

The power disruptions are highly destructive in a digital economy. 50 years ago, a power outage meant you ate the ice cream in the freezer and put the meat on the grill and chatted with neighbors instead of listening to free broadcast television.

Today, people are conducting business on the internet at home. People pay bills online and do other transactions including stocks and purchases. People have streaming services for entertainment and education. All of these types of activities are taxable by the City as one level or other. I lost power for 6 hours on May 30th caused by a fallen tree branch.

Blame it on climate change if you want, but what is the government doing to preserve my property rights? I pay for online services and yet I could not access them. Maybe there is a conspiracy to prevent me from watching Ben Shapiro and Epoch Times online!!!!

Omaha’s economy suffers when power goes out. Online workers can’t work and their work is merely shifted to other cities, states and countries where the power is still up. If you don’t believe these power outages have no economic impact, see these stats on remote work at link below:

https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/remote-work-statistics/

The City of Omaha needs to seriously consider penalizing the disruption of power from people who do not maintain their trees. Make the penalty a simple $200 fee and let the homeowner argue with their insurance company over it. OPPD should be required to report to police, when a power outage of over one hour has been caused by a falling tree or tree branch. The police should be required to write up a ticket for the derelict homeowner. 
 
For the more liberally minded, remote workers actually reduce their carbon footprint by not having to commute. There is a win-win scenario for defending remote workers from falling trees creating power outages. You can contact your City Council member through link below:
https://citycouncil.cityofomaha.org/council-members