Things are heating up in Omaha, Nebraska!
As the college sporting world turns to the Mens College World Series (CWS), teams from California, Texas, South Carolina, Arizona, and Oklahoma head to the greatest show on dirt. As thinks are getting ready to heat up on the baseball diamond, the temperatures are heating up as well. Temperatures for the series are expected to be in the upper 90s and lower 100s. It is at the hottest times in the summer when both businesses and residences look to the most affordable ways to stay cool. In fact, nothing taxes the heating and air conditioning of a home or business more than guests from out of town.
Power suppliers of cities like Omaha plan for months to handle the extra strain on the city’s power grid. Add in the fact that the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials will begin two days before the college world series ends and the power needed for the extra guests in town will sky rocket. And while all of the extra guests generate revenue for entire city, none of these guests will think much of Omaha if a major power failure occurs. Air conditioned hotel rooms, Olympic committee regulated water and air temperatures for swimmers, and the increased outdoor temperatures create a significant need from the major power suppliers in the area.
Omaha Is Among Many Cities Continuing to Examine Alternative Energy Companies
At the same time the Olympic swimming world and the college baseball world turns its attention toward Omaha, the energy suppliers of the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) look toward a significant change in one of their power suppliers. The fate of the Fort Calhoun nuclear energy plant is being decided during the same week as the CWS. The plant was forced to go off line from mid 2011 until December of 2013 as the utility recovered from historic Missouri River flooding and correcting federal nuclear safety violations.
According to OPPD officials the aging nuclear plant at Fort Calhoun, which first began its operation in the late 1960s, is no longer cost effective. It is simply too expensive to run the nuclear plant when it is to compared to other, cheaper forms of power. The energy forecasting analysis indicates permanently closing the plant would move the utility company away from expensive nuclear energy in a time when other less expensive sources are available. Most notably, OPPD directors point toward lower priced natural gas, as well as an increasing use of wind power. In a time when many energy consumers demand that both public and private energy companies provide the most for the money, OPPD officials are guaranteeing that with the closing of the plant, customers will not see a general rate increase until at least 2022. This promise of no rate increases is being guaranteed because of the savings OPPD will have from closing Fort Calhoun.
Other cities across America are forced to answer questions from their customers about price and energy sources that they are offered. Additionally, federal regulations continue to pressure energy providers to reduce carbon emissions, while at the same time make rates more competitive. In the case of Omaha, records indicate that from September of 1973 through March of 2012 the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant accounted for nearly 35% of the annual OPPD electricity.
Do You Know Where the Energy You Use Comes From?
Whether you are looking for alternative electricity for your business or alternative electricity for your home, energy research indicates that every day practices can help both business and home owners save money. For example, energy consumers save an estimated 10% every year on both their heating and cooling costs by installing a programmable thermostat. Thermostats that lower the temperature during winter sleeping hours, for example, make sure that both residents and customers are still warm during the day, but avoid unnecessary energy consumption at night.
The average American spends an estimated $107 per household on electricity. And while it should come as no surprise that America’s use of electricity in 2013 was more than 13 times greater than the electricity use in 1950, it should also come as no surprise that cities and federal agencies, as well as individuals are looking at the savings they could receive from alternative power suppliers.
