A survey of 2,000 adults found that 90% are making an effort to be more environmentally friendly in their daily life.
Another of Nebraska’s major utilities is taking a look at decarbonization and will be asking its customers to weigh in.
The Nebraska Public Power District will hold five public meetings over the next two weeks on whether it should pursue decarbonization, CEO Tom Kent said Friday. The meetings are part of a larger effort to gauge customer sentiment, he said.
Decarbonization is the process by which a utility reduces its carbon footprint, in part by reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases. Often, this involves a fuels shift, away from coal, for example, toward wind or solar.
The first meeting is Wednesday in Norfolk, and the final meeting is Aug. 18 in Kearney. The utility has already taken some stakeholder input and will post a survey on its website from Wednesday until Sept. 1.
The meetings will include a detailed presentation by the Electric Power Research Group on the business risks of decarbonizing or not, Kent said.
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Scientists have long known that digging up fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — and releasing their carbon dioxide into the atmosphere would change the planet’s climate. One reason scientists have become more urgent in their calls for action is that the release of carbon dioxide has a decades-long delayed effect on climate.
Global warming is already accelerating, while past and current emissions have a locked-in, yet-to-be-revealed impact.
Kent said NPPD already has lowered its emissions.
The utility’s 2020 generations emissions on a carbon intensity basis declined 39% from 2005 levels, he said.
“What the (NPPD) board decides in terms of a goal is certainly going to have an impact on how heavy the lift might be in terms of timing and level,” Kent said.
Net zero could be an aspirational goal, he said, but it would be challenging because the technology is not yet in place to get there.
“With today’s technology, we could get to 80% reduction level ... and still be affordable and reliable,” he said.
Each of Nebraska’s utilities has its own challenges and opportunities when it comes to decarbonization. For NPPD, a big question is the Gerald Gentleman Station in Sutherland. The coal plant is Nebraska’s largest electricity-generating plant and produces enough electricity to serve 600,000 Nebraskans. It’s been an important economic asset for the state.
According to NPPD, it has been consistently ranked one of the lowest-cost operating electric plants in the nation. NPPD is working with the federal government to pilot a program capturing some of the carbon dioxide emitted from the plant.
The Lincoln Electric System has a decarbonization goal of net zero by 2040. LES held a yearlong educational series with its customers.
The Omaha Public Power District held public workshops on the issue earlier this year. It has a goal of net zero carbon production by 2050.
Our best Omaha staff photos of July 2021
Camden Severin, 6, of Elkhorn, shows off autographs he collected during Husker Football Fan Day at Memorial Stadium on Thursday.
Quarterbacks Adrian Martinez, right, and Heinrich Haarberg meet with brothers Tayden, 5, and Kyler Conklin, 2, of Malcolm, during Husker Football Fan Day at Memorial Stadium on Thursday.
A full moon reflects a pink sunrise in Omaha on Saturday morning.
A person bikes up Underwood Avenue in Omaha early Saturday morning.
Carolyn Fisch shapes a piece of pottery to later fire in her kiln at her home in Omaha on Wednesday.
Pottery glows orange as it is pulled from the kiln at Carolyn Fisch's home in Omaha on Wednesday.
Smoke rises out of a charred pile of tree debris after a fire at Levi Carter Park on Friday. The boat ramp area is one of the places to drop off tree branches after the July 10th storm.
Scarlett Baldwin, 5, of Omaha holds onto mom Jen Baldwin and the wall while floating at Westridge Pool. A heat index above 100 degrees is forecast for the next three days in Omaha.
Nebraska Baseball Coach Will Bolt, left, opens the door for the new Director of Player Development for baseball Rob Childress at Haymarket Park on Tuesday.
A black-eyed Susan grows at the under-construction Gene Leahy Mall, with the First National Tower, the Union Pacific headquarters and the Omaha World-Herald building in the background.
James Moyle, left, and Frank Arch sit in a shelter at Miller Park next to a pile of tree debris on Tuesday. They were dressed as flies for an event in the park by Mandela Elementary. A storm over the weekend damaged thousands of trees and knocked out power in the Omaha area.
Tony Jackson, 61, and Tammy Kozak, 46, chat on outside Jackson's apartment in Omaha. Jackson's power was restored Sunday night. "I love camping," he said. "I just find something positive in the negative. My prayer is that everybody is safe and sound."
Prepackaged bags of vegetables, to be used for soup, are tossed into a box by volunteers at Food Bank for the Heartland on Friday.
Jim Furyk watches his putt on the 7th green during the final round of the U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club on Sunday.
Bob Estes hits during the third day of the U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club on Saturday.
Rocco Mediate lines up his shot, cigar on the ground, during the third day of the U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club on Saturday.
The top of a building blew off at 2602 O St. in Omaha during an overnight storm on Saturday, July 10.
Sara Smith walks her dog Ellie south on 45th Street towards Poppleton Avenue next to a trampoline that blew out of a neighboring yard and appeared to have hit a power line before coming to rest on a speed bump after an overnight storm caused power outages and tree damage in the area on Saturday.
A broken windshield from a fallen tree near 63rd and Maple Streets.
Courtney Hudson, 42, of Omaha gets his hair cut by owner Mark Nelson outside Another Level Barbershop during a power outage Saturday.
A giant flag is carried along the route during Saturday’s parade.
Paradegoers waive flags during the pride parade on Saturday in downtown Omaha.
A tree fell on a house near 45th and Mayberry Streets after an overnight storm on Saturday. More than 65,000 people remained without power Sunday morning, about 36 hours after the storm, which brought hurricane-force winds, ripped through the Omaha area.
A tree landed on a car near 31st Street and Layafette Avenue after an overnight storm on Saturday.
Billy Andrade places his ball before putting on the sixth green during the second round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship on Friday.
Joakim Haeggman lays down before putting on the third green during the second round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship on Friday.
Ernie Els walks on the fairway of hole 1 on the first day of competition in the U.S. Senior Open golf championship at Omaha Country Club on Thursday.
Sam Randolph putts on hole 9 on the first day of competition in the U.S. Senior Open golf championship at Omaha Country Club on Thursday.
The first day of competition in the U.S. Senior Open golf championship at Omaha Country Club on Thursday.
Morning traffic zooms by on Interstate 80, looking east from about 82nd Street on Thursday.
The sun rises on the first day of competition in the U.S. Senior Open golf championship at Omaha Country Club on Thursday.
Wolf Brothers Western Store will sell everything, including fixtures, before moving to west Omaha. Photographed at Wolf Brothers Western Store at 7001 Dodge Street in Omaha on Friday.
