BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Melissa Wright at the North Omaha Power Plant—where neighbors are still concerned about whether OPPD will keep its promise to shut the plant down, especially after a new lawsuit filed by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers seeks to force it to keep burning coal.
The North Omaha Station is set to end coal operations in 2026.
“Are you hopeful that it will transition by 2026?” I asked Thelma Sims.
“No—because transition is a small word, but the process is enormous,” she said.
Sims owns Element Childcare, located just blocks from the power plant. She says the closure would mean cleaner air and a fresh start for families in the area.
“There are times you can drive down the street and can’t even see the top of those smokestacks because they’re burning that much coal,” Sims said.
Sims says the pollution even affects her business. Each spring, she replaces the playground mulch to protect the children and staff from possible contamination.
“So the kids aren’t playing in contaminated mulch and wood chips—and that’s very expensive,” she said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Hilgers argues that shutting down the plant could hurt reliability and drive up energy costs for Nebraskans.
I reached out to OPPD for comment regarding the lawsuit and neighbor concerns. The utility says it’s unable to comment on pending litigation.
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