By now, you may have read the news headlines about Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) proposal to raise residential rates by 8.4 percent (https://omaha.com/news/local/business/oppd-proposes-6-3-average-rate-increase-to-cover-storm-damage-growth/article_7417abbe-a6cc-11ef-811b-ab95f45bf03a.html and https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/21/as-oppd-votes-to-raise-its-rates-and-board-of-directors-salaries-whats-in-it-for-us/ and https://oppdthewire.com/rate-proposal-aims-to-maintain-reliability-resiliency-amid-growth/).
The excuses they make are absurd. OPPD still spends too much money on items it really does not need. The Nebraska Examiner covered the story but ridiculously referenced Nebraska Chapter Sierra Club. But more insane, the OPPD board voted to double their salaries (https://www.wowt.com/video/2024/11/22/oppd-board-approves-measure-raise-their-salaries/).
Also, OPPD arguments are flawed. They essentially say their residential rates are too low by comparison with the national average. This is faulty reasoning. Other states and power companies have made a vast number mistakes in buying into supposed green technology which most often weakened the power supply instead of strengthening it, resulting in higher cost. We were told wind power would keep rates lower, but they are proposing rate hikes.
This nonsense must stop. You can contact OPPD at link below to civilly and rationally express your concerns:
https://ww3.oppd.com/contact-management/
The real reason OPPD has to increase rates is because solar and wind are intermittent. They need reliable backup. That leads to overbuilding.