- Neighbors like Cheryl Weston say the coal plant has fueled decades of health problems in North Omaha, and residents want to make sure OPPD follows through on its promise to shut down coal operations.
- After partial conversion in 2016 and years of debate, OPPD set 2026 as the final deadline to move fully to natural gas. Some residents remain doubtful but hopeful as the utility expands resources like Turtle Creek Station.
- Farmers in nearby Waverly, like Bill Belvins, worry about coal trains and environmental fallout. They say the effects of coal pollution reach far outside North Omaha — making this a regional issue, not just a neighborhood one.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For more than 70 years, the North Omaha coal plant has been a towering presence in the community. Built in 1954, it has powered homes across the metro — but also carried heavy health and environmental concerns. Now, neighbors say they want to see change.
“It’s for those health issues that North Omaha residents have been dealing with for years and they continue to deal with it,” said longtime resident Cheryl Weston.
- 2016: Part of the plant was converted to natural gas.
- 2022: OPPD began weighing options for the remaining units.
- 2023: The board voted to retire half the facility and convert the other half.
- 2024: OPPD made it official — the full transition to natural gas is set for 2026.
Weston says she feels cautiously optimistic.
“I am hopeful but am I 100%? It’s hard to say I am 100% for anything. But I am hopeful, and that’s the way I want to think.”
OPPD leaders say they’re moving quickly to add new energy resources. Turtle Creek Station came online in June, and more facilities are in the works.
“Just a little drum roll, we’re going to have another one of these in the next few months,” OPPD CEO Javier Fernandez said during a recent board meeting.
“We have yet another powerplant coming in. I don’t want to jinx ourselves… so I’m just going to save that for whenever that comes online.”
For North Omaha residents, the top concern remains health. But advocates note that the impacts of burning coal extend well beyond city limits — reaching places like Waverly, where coal trains frequently pass through farmland.
“I just believe that we are all in this together, and if we are making people sick somewhere then it’s a concern to all of us,” said Bill Belvins, a farmer near Waverly.
Belvins says he’s worried about the long-term environmental toll.
“With this day and age when we have so many options… I’m a big advocate of going forward with nuclear power. I think it’s our best alternative.”
Despite promises, neighbors like Weston say they want to keep the pressure on.
“We just want to keep pushing to make sure… it does appear that they’re working to make the requirement of 2026. But it’s always like, continue to have a nudge.”
OPPD says it still plans to follow through on its 2022 commitment and fully transition the North Omaha Station from coal to natural gas by 2026 — while balancing the challenges of growing demand.
In North Omaha, I’m Melissa Wright.
