Warm temperatures begin to break up ice on the Platte River in Nebraska after a brutal cold weather period in February.
Nebraska regulators said Tuesday that they will intervene — for now — in the February price hikes expected on the bills of customers served by privately operated natural gas companies.
Extreme cold in mid-February, from the Canadian border to Texas, caused natural gas prices on the open market to skyrocket, driving up the price that utilities pass on to customers. In portions of Nebraska it was one of the coldest mid-Februarys on record.
The Nebraska Public Service Commission has regulatory authority over Black Hill Energy and NorthWestern Energy, but not municipal utilities such as Metropolitan Utilities District.
Tom Glanzer, a spokesman for NorthWestern, said that the utility didn’t yet have an estimate on how the February price spikes would affect bills, but that the utility will work with the PSC to ease stress on customers. In South Dakota, for example, the increased cost will be spread over 12 months.
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A representative of Black Hills couldn’t be reached.
MUD has estimated that the average residential customer could see an additional $17.21 on their February bill, a cost that could have been $200 higher if not for cost-saving moves made by the district.
For NorthWestern and Black Hills, the PSC is taking the following steps:
Requiring an additional 30-day grace period for paying off delinquent bills.
Extending the moratorium on shutting off delinquent low-income households.
Opening an investigation into price spikes that occurred as a result of the February Arctic outbreak and then assessing options.
Directing the two utilities to withhold from bills, for now, the extraordinary price spikes related to the Arctic outbreak until further findings have been made.
Dan Watermeier, PSC chairman, said the agency has been told by the two utilities that Nebraskans could see significant increases in February bills.
The PSC will meet virtually with Black Hills and NorthWestern in April to learn more about the cold snap’s impact on Nebraska gas prices. It’s not clear what the PSC will be able to do once it gathers that information.
“We’re exploring what options we have to help mitigate the impact of this spike,” Watermeier said.
The PSC’s extended grace period and moratorium are the result of the agency extending its so-called cold weather rule through the end of May, instead of allowing it to expire at the end of March. Even though cold weather will be over sooner, the extension gives customers more time to pay delinquent bills.
The Black Hills Zoom meeting with the PSC will be at 10 a.m. April 6 and the NorthWestern Energy Zoom meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. on April 7. The meetings are open to the public.
10 unusual weather events in the Midlands through the years
10 unusual weather events in the Midlands through the years
March 23, 1913: Omaha Easter tornado
An estimated 103 people were killed and 350 injured in the Omaha area when the tornado struck with no warning on a warm Easter Sunday. About 750 of Omaha’s more than 2,000 damaged houses were destroyed. The tornado — now categorized by the National Weather Service as an F4 storm with 166- to 200-mph winds — was part of the most catastrophic outbreak of tornadoes in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa history. More photos.
Here, people stand at 2410 Lake St. after the tornado.
July 1936: Dust Bowl
Nebraskans experienced the worst of the Dust Bowl in July 1936. The state experienced scorching heat, with Omaha hitting 114 degrees. The city recorded 35 days that year with temperatures of 100 degrees or higher. Air conditioning was not yet common and people slept outdoors to catch a breeze.
Here, a dust storm approaches Naponee, Nebraska, in 1935. The large building is the First Congregational Church.
Jan. 2-3, 1949: Blizzard
One of the worst blizzards on record suffocated all but southeast Nebraska. The region’s economy teetered on the edge of collapse as ceaseless winds and fresh snow defied efforts to keep roads and rail lines clear. Livestock by the tens of thousands died of starvation and exposure. Whole towns rationed food, and some residents burned furniture for household fuel.
Here, Vincent McKeown stands beside his car in a 20-foot deep snow canyon made by plows on Highway 275 10 miles west of Norfolk, Nebraska.
April 1960: Flooding
Melting from a heavy winter snowfall led to widespread flooding across eastern Nebraska. Rivers were already swollen when rain, followed by up to 9 inches of snow, swept the area April 1.
Here, H.H. Lallman (foreground), 71, chats with Chris Martinsen, 77 and Johanna Keilstrup in Winslow, Nebraska during Elkhorn River flooding.
Jan. 10-11, 1975: Blizzard
The storm raged across eastern Nebraska and caused deaths in five states. Omaha had just an inch of snow on the ground at 6 a.m. Jan. 10, but by 9 a.m. the city had declared a snow emergency. At one point an estimated 10,000 vehicles were stuck, stalled or abandoned in Omaha. Winds reached 60 mph, creating drifts as high as 10 feet. More than a foot of snow fell. More photos.
Seen here are vehicles stalled on 72nd Street south of Dodge.
May 6, 1975: Omaha tornado
An F4 tornado with winds of more than 200 mph tore through a nine-mile-long section of Omaha, killing three people and injuring more than 100. Early detection, aided by storm spotters, helped prevent greater loss of life. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2013 ranked the damage as the eighth worst tornado in U.S. history at an inflation-adjusted cost of more than $1 billion. Read more.
Here, an aerial view of the Westgate area is seen on May 7, 1975.
Oct. 25-26, 1997: Early snowstorm
Heavy, wet snow fell on still-leafy trees across southeastern Nebraska, resulting in downed tees, limbs and power lines. Streets were blocked, and houses and cars were damaged. The storm killed an estimated 3 percent of the Omaha-area’s trees and damaged another 30 to 35 percent. More photos.
Seen here is a snow-covered street and crushed trees near Miller Park in Omaha on Oct. 26, 1997.
June 22, 2003: Supersized hailstone
Aric Brophy, left, of Aurora, Nebraska, raced outdoors to retrieve a hailstone and impress his kids. He came back with the then-largest hailstone on record for the U.S.: 7 inches across and 18.75 inches around.
Summer 2011: Missouri River flooding
Heavy snowmelt and record spring rains in the upper part of the Missouri River watershed overwhelmed levees and imperiled the six massive dams that control the Missouri’s flow. Flooding lasted four months and caused billions of dollars in damage.
U.S. Highway 136 is seen here running east of Brownville, Nebraska, over the Missouri River channel and into flooded Missouri farmland on July 15, 2011.
Aug. 4, 2016: Lake Manawa waterspout
A long and lanky waterspout formed over Lake Manawa about 5:30 p.m., mesmerizing the many people in the metro area who saw it. After waltzing on the lake for 10 minutes or so, it broke apart. A spectacular sight, the tornado was harmless, because it had anchored itself to the lake. Had it not occurred in a populated area, the waterspout’s existence would have gone unrecorded. That’s because it was a rare tornado that formed independent of a supercell thunderstorm. It was so weak and out of place that it didn’t show up on radar, nor did it leave a trail of damage. More photos.
Nancy Gaarder
Nancy Gaarder helps cover public safety and weather events as an editor on The World-Herald's breaking news desk. Follow her on Twitter @gaarder. Email: nancy.gaarder@owh.com
