North Omaha Station
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North Omaha Station is an operating power station of at least 644-megawatts (MW) in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| North Omaha Station | Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, United States | 41.329614, -95.946489 (exact)[1] |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5: 41.329614, -95.946489
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1, timepoint 1 | Retired | coal: subbituminous | 73.5 | subcritical | no[2] | 1954 | 2016 |
| Unit 1, timepoint 2 | Operating[2][3] | fossil gas: natural gas[2] | 73.5[2] | steam turbine[2] | no[2] | 2016[2][4] | 2026 (planned)[5][1] |
| Unit 2, timepoint 1 | Retired | coal: subbituminous | 108.8 | subcritical | no[2] | 1957 | 2016 |
| Unit 2, timepoint 2 | Operating[2][3] | fossil gas: natural gas[2] | 108.8[2] | steam turbine[2] | no[2] | 2016[2][4] | 2026 (planned)[5][1] |
| Unit 3, timepoint 1 | Retired | coal: subbituminous | 108.8 | subcritical | no[2] | 1959 | 2016 |
| Unit 3, timepoint 2 | Operating[2][3] | fossil gas: natural gas[2] | 108.8[2] | steam turbine[2] | no[2] | 2016[2][4] | 2026 (planned)[5][1] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 1 | Operating | coal: subbituminous | 136 | subcritical | no[2] | 1963 | 2026 (planned)[6] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 2 | Construction[3][7][8] | fossil gas: natural gas[7] | 136[9] | steam turbine[10] | no[2] | 2026 (planned)[11][12] | – |
| Unit 5, timepoint 1 | Operating | coal: subbituminous | 217.6 | subcritical | no[2] | 1968 | 2026 (planned)[6] |
| Unit 5, timepoint 2 | Construction[3][7][8] | fossil gas: natural gas[7] | 217.6[9] | steam turbine[10] | no[2] | 2026 (planned)[11][12] | – |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1, timepoint 1 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 1, timepoint 2 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 2, timepoint 1 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 2, timepoint 2 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 3, timepoint 1 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 3, timepoint 2 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 1 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 2 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 5, timepoint 1 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
| Unit 5, timepoint 2 | Omaha Public Power District [100%][1] | Omaha Public Power District [100.0%] |
Unit-level fuel conversion details:
Unit 1: Converted from coal to fossil gas in 2016.
Unit 2: Converted from coal to fossil gas in 2016.
Unit 3: Converted from coal to fossil gas in 2016.
Unit 4: Conversion under construction from coal to fossil gas in 2026.
Unit 5: Conversion under construction from coal to fossil gas in 2026.
Unit Conversions and Retirements
In June 2014 owner Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) said it will retire three of five generating units at the 60-year-old North Omaha plant by 2016. The two remaining units will remain on coal but be retrofitted with additional emission controls, and then converted to run on natural gas by 2023. OPPD said the changes will allow the utility to be compliant with new mercury and air toxic standards adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The decision over the power station grew out of stakeholder meetings for a 20-year generation plan for OPPD. The plan puts OPPD on track for having 33 percent of its retail generation load come from renewable sources by 2018 (as well as 31 percent from coal, 33 percent nuclear, and 3 percent natural gas and oil by 2018). The measure approved by the OPPD board is estimated to have minimal effect on customer rates, ranging from zero to 2 percent over a 20-year period.[13]
The plant's first three coal-fired units were retired and converted to natural gas in March to April 2016. [14][15] These units serve as peaking units during times of high demand for electricity[16]. Units 4 and 5 were scheduled to be converted to natural gas before 2024.[17]
OPPD made a recommendation at its June 2022 Board of Directors meeting to delay the retirement of North Omaha Station units 1-3 and fuel conversion of units 4 and 5 from low-sulfur coal to gas until Standing Bear Lake (SBLS) and Turtle Creek (TCS) power stations are ready and approved to connect to the grid at full capacity. Previously, OPPD's Board of Directors approved these changes to occur by the end of 2023. At the August 2022 monthly board meeting, OPPD’s Board of Directors voted to approve this recommendation.[16][18]
During the August 2023 Board Meeting, OPPD Board of Directors voted to approve the utility's recommended near-term generation resource plan to address unprecedented growth in energy demand. In addition to the new generation to be added, OPPD remained committed to previously announced plans for the North Omaha Station, including retiring its older units (1-3) as well as converting units 4-5 to gas-only fuel.[19]
In May 2024, it was reported that the conversion of units 4 and 5 was in progress, and an auxiliary boiler was being installed to heat the building and start the gas-powered units. The final work on the new boiler will happen after OPPD retires units 1, 2 and 3 and converts units 4 and 5 to gas. Work is also underway to install new supporting components at the power plant, including more than 2,000 feet of piping, 3,400 feet of electric cable, and 12 pumps and motors to support the new system.[20]
Conversion delays and data centers
In October 2024, the Washington Post published an article highlighting the role data centers have played in the delayed conversion of the North Omaha plant from coal to gas.[21] Although OPPD claims that the delayed conversion has been the result of the "slow arrival of clean energy supplies from wind and solar," others in the energy industry are confident that data centers are also to blame.[21] According to the article, "the electricity that Google and Meta - the parent company of Facebook and Instagram - are devouring is a major factor in the extension of coal burning."[21] The same source states that "Meta's Nebraska data center alone used nearly as much energy as the North Omaha coal units produced in 2023."[21] This is enough electricity to power over half the homes in Omaha. [21] Similarly, "Google uses more total electricity in Nebraska than anywhere in the United States," eclipsing Meta's energy use in the Omaha region.[21] The delayed conversion of the plant has been met with strong opposition from local activists, groups like Sierra Club, and other local organizations.[22]
Emissions Data
- 2006 CO2 Emissions: 4,065,696 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions: 14,315 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- 2006 NOx Emissions: 6,259 tons
- 2005 Mercury Emissions: 216 lb.
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from North Omaha Station
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[23] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[24]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from North Omaha Station
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 14 | $100,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 22 | $2,400,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 240 | $13,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 10 | $240,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 9 | $3,900,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 15 | $6,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed February 2011
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 https://web.archive.org/web/20230509053328/https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/. Archived from the original on 09 May 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 https://web.archive.org/web/20200612191408/https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/archive/xls/november_generator2019.xlsx. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://web.archive.org/web/20231208232245/https://www.oppdcommunityconnect.com/generation. Archived from the original on 08 December 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220709070904/https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/oppd-seeks-ok-solar-plant-large-600-mw. Archived from the original on 09 July 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20230918190319/https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/archive/xls/may_generator2023.xlsx. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240212211140/https://www.noiseomaha.com/news-now/2022/7/21/north-omaha-station-will-be-burning-coal-until-2026-instead-of-stopping-in-2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20221015125128/https://www.oppd.com/about/energy-portfolio/. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525142035/https://oppdthewire.com/new-heating-system-at-north-omaha-plant-a-step-toward-decarbonization/. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220712171434/https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/xls/april_generator2022.xlsx. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220709062717/https://www.power-technology.com/marketdata/north-omaha-power-plant-coal-to-gas-us/. Archived from the original on 09 July 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://www.power-eng.com/coal/new-projects-coal/facing-multiple-hurdles-oppd-delays-power-plant-retirement-and-fuel-switch-plans/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 https://www.oppdcommunityconnect.com/north-omaha-station/widgets/57528/photos/13566.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "OPPD to cut emissions at coal plants," Lincoln Journal Star Online, June 19, 2014.
- ↑ Jason Kuiper, "It’s an end of an era at North Omaha Station," The Wire, March 18, 2016
- ↑ "Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory" EIA.gov, accessed April 2021
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "North Omaha Station Update". Omaha Public Power District. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "OPPD seeks OK for solar plant as large as 600 MW" Publicpower.org, october 24, 2019
- ↑ "North Omaha Station Could Be Burning Coal Until 2026 Instead of Stopping in 2023," NOISE, July 21, 2022
- ↑ "Generation". www.oppdcommunityconnect.com. May 15, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "New heating system at North Omaha plant a step toward decarbonization". oppdthewire.com. May 15, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 www.sierraclub.org https://www.sierraclub.org/nebraska/wapo-article-about-oppd. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ www.sierraclub.org https://www.sierraclub.org/nebraska/oppd-plans-extend-coal-burning-north-omaha-station. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
