- OPPD originally pledged to close the North Omaha coal plant by 2023, but pushed the deadline to 2026. Many neighbors feel the delay has gone on too long and are demanding accountability.
- Bold Nebraska, a clean energy advocacy group, has launched a petition urging OPPD to keep its 2026 promise. State Senator Terrell McKinney says the petition reflects growing frustration from residents who feel the plant is overdue for closure.
- Community leaders like Preston Love say they doubt OPPD will meet its deadline but are working to preserve communication with the utility. They want regular updates and assurances that politics or economic pressures won’t stall the transition.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
North Omaha neighbors and clean energy advocates are urging the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) to stick to its promise of closing the North Omaha coal plant by 2026.
OPPD originally pledged to shut down the plant by 2023, but the deadline was pushed back three years. Now, Bold Nebraska—a clean energy advocacy group—has launched a petition calling on the utility to keep to its 2026 timeline.
State Senator Terrell McKinney, who also serves on the board of Bold Nebraska, said residents feel the delays have gone on too long.
“They are saying it is way overdue because of the delays and people are fed up with having the coal plant in the community,” McKinney said.
Community advocate Preston Love expressed concern that political pressure or economic interests could push the utility to extend coal operations even further.
“I would only say we need to keep the politics out of people’s business,” Love said.
Despite the skepticism, leaders like Love say they still want to maintain open communication with OPPD while pressing for accountability.
“In all respect, we accept your promise, but we want to monitor it, have you participate and communicate, and give us all the updates that are necessary,” he said.
While the coal plant wasn’t officially on the agenda for Wednesday’s board meeting, OPPD told Channel 3 it anticipated a strong community presence. A spokesperson said the utility was prepared to listen to concerns from neighbors and advocates who continue to demand quicker action on the plant’s closure.
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