Winter 2023 Generator
Learn more about our EnergyWise programs, a change in rates and the Board of Directors for 2023, and cell charger safety.
Learn more about our EnergyWise programs, a change in rates and the Board of Directors for 2023, and cell charger safety.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
GENERA OR<br />
a publication of Loup Power District WINTER <strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>2023</strong> INCENTIVES<br />
for your energy efficiency upgrades<br />
$<br />
$<br />
$ $<br />
$ $ $
BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
Steve Heesacker<br />
Chairman<br />
Bob Cerv<br />
First Vice Chairman<br />
Jim Donoghue<br />
Second Vice Chairman<br />
Mike Fleming<br />
Secretary<br />
Dick Tooley<br />
Treasurer<br />
Rich Aerni<br />
Alan Drozd<br />
Chris Langemeier<br />
Larry Zach<br />
EXECUTIVE STAFF<br />
Neal Suess<br />
President/CEO<br />
Walt Williams<br />
Vice President,<br />
Accounting & Finance/CFO<br />
Todd Duren<br />
Vice President,<br />
Corporate Services<br />
Korey Hobza<br />
Vice President, Engineering<br />
Dan Hellbusch<br />
Vice President, Operations<br />
The Loup <strong>Generator</strong> is<br />
published quarterly<br />
as a service for Loup<br />
employees, families,<br />
friends, and associates.<br />
For feedback, story ideas<br />
and submissions, contact:<br />
Stacy Wemhoff<br />
Communications Coordinator<br />
402-562-5711<br />
swemhoff@loup.com<br />
Communities receive more than $1.6M<br />
Loup Power District officials<br />
recently delivered lease<br />
payments totaling more than<br />
$1.6 million to area communities.<br />
Each of these communities<br />
owns their electric distribution<br />
systems.<br />
These payments compensate<br />
them for the use of those systems<br />
for the third quarter of 2022.<br />
Communities use the funds for a<br />
variety of public projects.<br />
Fight the winter chill and save energy<br />
We all have our favorite season. Some people<br />
love crisp, cool weather and bundling up under<br />
a favorite blanket, while others prefer the warm<br />
temperatures summer brings and all the fun<br />
outdoor activities that go with it.<br />
But there’s one thing we can all agree on: high<br />
winter bills are never fun. Here are some tips to<br />
help you manage your home energy use and keep<br />
winter bills in check.<br />
The payments were:<br />
Columbus — $1,232,382.74<br />
Platte Center — $10,743.15<br />
Monroe — $8,544.47<br />
Tarnov — $1,422.77<br />
Creston — $5,804.40<br />
Humphrey — $28,541.28<br />
Lindsay — $45,774.88<br />
Cornlea — $1,756.01<br />
Newman Grove — $19,955.51<br />
Duncan — $17,400.11<br />
Fullerton — $38,204.93<br />
Genoa — $27,063.72<br />
1. MIND THE THERMOSTAT.<br />
This is one of the easiest ways to manage your<br />
home energy use. We recommend setting your<br />
thermostat to 68 degrees (or lower) when you’re<br />
home. When you’re away for an extended period of<br />
time, try setting it a little lower — there’s no need<br />
to heat your home when you’re away or sleeping<br />
and less active.<br />
2. BUTTON UP YOUR HOME.<br />
The Department of Energy estimates that air leaks<br />
account for 24–40 percent of the energy used for<br />
heating and cooling a home. Caulking and weather<br />
stripping around windows and doors is another<br />
simple, cost-effective way to increase comfort and<br />
save energy. If you can feel drafts while standing<br />
near a window or door, it likely needs to be sealed.<br />
3. USE WINDOW COVERINGS WISELY.<br />
Open blinds, drapes or other window coverings<br />
during the day to allow natural sunlight in to warm<br />
your home. Close them at night to keep the cold,<br />
drafty air out. If you feel cold air around windows,<br />
consider hanging curtains or drapes in a thicker<br />
material. Heavier window coverings can make a<br />
significant difference in blocking cold outdoor air.<br />
4. CONSIDER YOUR APPLIANCE USE.<br />
When combined, appliances and electronics<br />
account for a significant chunk of our home energy<br />
use, so assess how efficiently you’re using them.<br />
Belgrade — $3,950.17<br />
Richland — $2,541.36<br />
Howells — $20,526.03<br />
Leigh — $15,624.36<br />
Clarkson — $21,796.13<br />
Albion — $55,231.07<br />
Cedar Rapids — $14,640.57<br />
Primrose — $1,648.76<br />
Petersburg — $11,169.31<br />
St. Edward — $20,629.42<br />
Total — $1,605,351.15<br />
For example, if you’re running the dishwasher<br />
or clothes washer, only wash full loads. Look for<br />
electronic devices that consume energy even when<br />
they’re not in use, like phone chargers or game<br />
consoles. Every little bit helps, so unplug them to<br />
save energy.<br />
5. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.<br />
If you’re still feeling chilly at home, think of other<br />
ways to warm up beyond dialing up the thermostat.<br />
Add layers of clothing, wear thick socks and<br />
bundle up under blankets. You can even add layers<br />
to your home! If you have hard-surface flooring,<br />
consider purchasing an area rug to block cold air<br />
that leaks in through the floor.<br />
If you’re taking steps to save energy but continue<br />
to see major increases in your bills, give us a call at<br />
402-562-5718 or check out our energy calculators at<br />
loup.com.<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> months often bring some of the highest<br />
energy bills of the year. By being proactive about<br />
saving energy, you can increase the comfort of your<br />
home and reduce monthly bills.<br />
2 | GENERATOR
president’s message<br />
Board of Directors goes<br />
from 10 members to 9<br />
As you may be aware, the District will see a distinct<br />
change in our Board of Directors next year. Effective<br />
with the new year in <strong>2023</strong>, the District will go from<br />
a ten-member Board of Directors to a nine-member<br />
Board of Directors.<br />
Why did this happen? It was due to the change in the<br />
distribution of people in the District’s four-county<br />
service area from the 2010 Census to the 2020 Census.<br />
As the District’s Board and management started<br />
to look at the 2020 Census figures, it became clear<br />
that the District needed to go to a nine-member<br />
Board to keep an even population between District<br />
subdivisions.<br />
The populations in the District’s two largest cities<br />
—Columbus and Schuyler — are growing at a rate<br />
much faster than the rest of the District. Many areas<br />
of the District outside of Columbus and Schuyler<br />
actually decreased in population from 2010 to 2020,<br />
which caused an even greater shift in the population<br />
numbers.<br />
As the Board members started to review the data,<br />
it became very clear that the western part of the<br />
District’s operating area (specifically Boone County<br />
Petersburg<br />
and Nance County) would be unable to support a<br />
director from each county. Instead, the counties<br />
needed to have one director from Boone and Nance<br />
County.<br />
In the November election, Board member Alan Drozd<br />
defeated Board member Ross Knott for this seat. In the<br />
other races involving District subdivisions, Director<br />
Jim Donoghue and Director Larry Zach were victorious<br />
in their reelection bids.<br />
With that, we at the District will say goodbye to<br />
Director Ross Knott from Petersburg. Director Knott<br />
has been on the District Board since 2017 and served<br />
as Board Chairman in 2021. He brought a wealth of<br />
knowledge to the District with his involvement in the<br />
banking industry and his vast knowledge of ranching<br />
in the panhandle areas of Nebraska.<br />
The Loup Power District Board of Directors has always<br />
brought a wide variety of business understanding to<br />
their positions and this has made the District Board<br />
very unique. This is one of the main reasons that I<br />
have enjoyed working at Loup Power District — I get<br />
a better understanding of different industries from<br />
people who are leaders in those industries.<br />
We want to wish Director Knott, his wife Danielle, and<br />
the rest of his family the best of luck in their future<br />
endeavors. They will be missed as part of the Loup<br />
Power District family.<br />
NEAL SUESS<br />
President/CEO<br />
ALAN DROZD<br />
Albion<br />
Newman<br />
Grove<br />
Lindsay<br />
Cornlea<br />
Humphrey<br />
Creston<br />
Leigh<br />
Clarkson<br />
Howells<br />
Primrose<br />
Cedar Rapids<br />
St. Edward<br />
STEVE HEESACKER<br />
Tarnov<br />
Platte Center<br />
BOB CERV<br />
Belgrade<br />
Genoa<br />
Monroe<br />
JIM DONOGHUE<br />
Columbus<br />
Richland<br />
Schuyler<br />
Duncan<br />
Fullerton<br />
LARRY ZACH<br />
MIKE FLEMING<br />
DICK TOOLEY<br />
RICH AERNI<br />
CHRIS LANGEMEIER<br />
1=1<br />
WINTER <strong>2023</strong> | 3
RETIREE PROFILE:<br />
JIM FREAR<br />
Jim Frear was happily teaching industrial<br />
tech students at Kearney State College in<br />
1990. Then he found out that the college<br />
was going to become part of the University<br />
of Nebraska-Lincoln. They required a<br />
doctorate degree.<br />
Frear earned his bachelor’s degree in<br />
industrial technology and a master’s degree<br />
in vocational education. He was was tired of<br />
taking classes, so he went to the Nebraska<br />
job service to see about a new career. Before<br />
teaching, he worked with the U.S. Forest<br />
Service in the engineering department.<br />
When he learned about an engineering<br />
tech opening at Loup Power District, he<br />
decided to give it a try.<br />
“I said, ‘Hey, I’ll take that for a few years<br />
until we can move back west,’ and 30 years<br />
later I was still there.”<br />
That’s the way it tends to happen at Loup.<br />
Frear found he really enjoyed the work and<br />
his coworkers. And it was a good job to help<br />
him support his family. Even so, he thought<br />
about returning west to Chadron for 20<br />
years. “That was always the plan,” he said.<br />
So, following his retirement in late 2019,<br />
that’s exactly where he headed. In his new<br />
home, he is surrounded by a national forest.<br />
He loves the trees, the hills, the cliffs —<br />
something he really missed while living in<br />
Platte County.<br />
Frear has no time for boredom in retirement.<br />
He has reconnected with college<br />
friends who live in the area. His hometown<br />
of Valentine is close enough that he can<br />
connect with high school friends.<br />
He spends a lot of time maintaining his<br />
five acres. This includes putting up fences to<br />
keep the deer out. He helps his wife, Shelley,<br />
with her garden. She works at Chadron State<br />
4 | GENERATOR<br />
College and they attend college functions<br />
together. Almost every night, he plays one of<br />
his guitars.<br />
Frear also works on motorcycles — a<br />
passion he has had since he was 14 years old.<br />
He finds “junkers” and rebuilds and repaints<br />
them. He has completed six in the last three<br />
years. “You learn a lot,” he said. “It’s fun and<br />
enjoyable to get them running.”<br />
He faced some heartache in retirement,<br />
too. “I had to put my old dog to sleep which<br />
is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he said.<br />
While he still feels that loss, Frear got<br />
a new lab from Loup employee Jon Blaser<br />
in July 2021. Finn has eased that pain and<br />
brought new joy to the Frears. “I’ve never<br />
spent a day apart from him,” he said.<br />
Finn also does a good job chasing away<br />
the deer — and the neighbors. “He keeps<br />
pretty much everyone chased away which is<br />
fine by me,” Frear joked.<br />
But, he is wary of wildlife. There are a<br />
bunch of coyotes nearby who can cause<br />
trouble. He’s spotted a mountain lion. There<br />
is a breeding population of black bears 45<br />
miles north. And he’s heard the wolves are<br />
making their way southeast from Yellowstone<br />
National Park.<br />
But that comes with the territory — a territory<br />
that Frear was glad to get back to after<br />
years of planning. A territory that comes<br />
with everything he worked for.<br />
“I got my dog. I got my friends, I got the<br />
motorcycles, and the forest,” he said.<br />
Top: Jim Frear’s shop and motorcycles.<br />
Above: Frear working at Loup. His duties<br />
included working with Federal agencies and<br />
customers involved with the District’s hydro<br />
facilities: the Genoa Headworks, Columbus<br />
and Monroe powerhouses, canal, and lakes.<br />
He was also on the team that worked on the<br />
relicensing of the Loup River Hydroelectric<br />
Project.<br />
Bottom Left: Frear and his wife, Shelley, at<br />
the wedding of their son, Don. Both sons<br />
have gotten married on their acreage.<br />
Bottom Middle: Frear lost his yellow lab,<br />
Cap, after 16 years. Finn, a black lab, has<br />
helped to fill that loss. He is great at chasing<br />
deer and neighbors.
Cheap chargers come<br />
with safety concerns<br />
The chargers that came with our phone, digital camera, and other<br />
electronics seem to disappear as often as a sock mate sometimes. As<br />
a solution, many people reach for the low-cost, generic plug-in USB<br />
chargers and charging cables found in the sea of impulse items that<br />
flank checkout lines. It can save money and it’s so convenient, most<br />
people rationalize the purchase.<br />
Knockoffs can be great, but not when replacing original charging<br />
components for a variety of reasons. For instance, generic mobile<br />
phone chargers are less likely to meet safety and quality guidelines<br />
than the higher-priced brand-name replacements, according to<br />
an article in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, an international<br />
medical journal.<br />
The article cites a significant injury that involved a generic phone<br />
charger near a bed. A woman experienced pain around her neck<br />
after resting on her bed with a generic iPhone charger (not an<br />
Apple brand) underneath her pillow. The charger was plugged<br />
into an outlet but not into her phone, which is not advised but a<br />
common practice. She felt a sudden burning sensation in her neck<br />
and instinctively pulled off a necklace she was wearing. The injury<br />
caused significant burn marks around her neck.<br />
pillow. The heat gets trapped, which could cause the pillow or<br />
bed to catch fire.<br />
• Only buy product-approved chargers and cables (those made or<br />
certified by the manufacturer). Using cheaper devices can cause<br />
damage to the USB charge chip, which can have a lasting impact<br />
on how quickly and effectively your device charges in the future.<br />
The bottom line is this: Don’t buy charging equipment with prices<br />
that seem too good to be true or from companies you’ve never heard<br />
of. And even if you’ve heard of the company, be leery of fakes. In<br />
2016, Apple sued a company that sold counterfeit wall chargers with<br />
Apple’s name on them for less than $10 each.<br />
For more information, visit SafeElectricity.org.<br />
“In a study conducted by Electrical Safety First in the United<br />
Kingdom, Apple provided 64 generic chargers for safety testing.<br />
Fifty-eight percent of these generic chargers failed the electric<br />
strength test, indicating a breakdown of the insulation barrier,” the<br />
article states.<br />
Amazon recalled 26,000 AmazonBasics portable lithium-ion battery<br />
chargers and power banks after the massive online retailer learned<br />
the units can overheat and ignite, causing fire and burn hazards.<br />
According to the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission, the<br />
products were sold between December 2014 and July 2017.<br />
“Although it is tempting to pick up an inexpensive phone charger<br />
to save money, buying and using cheap chargers is one place you<br />
might not want to cut corners,” according to Erin Hollinshead,<br />
Executive Director of the Energy Education Council/Safe Electricity<br />
program. “Using an authentic replacement charger made by your<br />
mobile phone’s manufacturer is always a better choice.”<br />
Along with being a potential fire hazard, using cheaply made<br />
charging components and devices can also cause electrocution.<br />
Dangers aside, they may cost you more in the long run since they<br />
can cause damage to whatever’s on the other end of the cable.<br />
When using charging gear, Safe Electricity recommends the<br />
following:<br />
• Do not leave items that are charging unattended.<br />
• Do not touch charging electronic devices with wet hands or<br />
while standing in water.<br />
• Make sure charging components are certified by a reputable<br />
third-party testing laboratory.<br />
• Always keep charging items away from flammable objects,<br />
especially bedding, and do not take them to bed with you. Tell<br />
kids and teens to NEVER place any charging device under their<br />
WINTER <strong>2023</strong> | 5
6 | GENERATOR
WINTER <strong>2023</strong> | 7
employee notes<br />
TONY MILLER<br />
Columbus Plant Operator<br />
Tony Miller of Columbus<br />
has joined Loup<br />
Power District as<br />
a Plant Operator<br />
at the Columbus<br />
Powerhouse.<br />
As a plant operator,<br />
Miller monitors and<br />
controls the three<br />
generation units<br />
at Columbus and<br />
WELCOME<br />
remotely controls<br />
the Monroe Powerhouse.<br />
He also works closely with the<br />
Genoa Headworks to divert maximum<br />
Loup River water into the District canal<br />
system for power plant generation.<br />
His other duties include coordinating<br />
generation with NPPD’s control center<br />
in Doniphan and monitoring Loup’s<br />
115 kV and 34.5 kV subtransmission<br />
system.<br />
Miller is a graduate of Fort Calhoun<br />
High School. He graduated from<br />
Nebraska Law Enforcement Training<br />
Center and attended Maintenance<br />
Management school while serving in<br />
U.S. Marine Corps. He most recently<br />
worked in zoning and maintenance for<br />
the City of Humphrey. He and his wife,<br />
Kim, have two children— Cameron and<br />
Courtney.<br />
BO OLSON<br />
Maintenance Technician<br />
Casey “Bo” Olson<br />
joined Loup Power<br />
District as a Maintenance<br />
Technician at<br />
the Genoa Headworks<br />
in 2021.<br />
Olson is responsible<br />
for maintaining district<br />
parks, facilities,<br />
and equipment<br />
in the hydraulic<br />
1 YEAR<br />
operations of the<br />
District. He will also<br />
assist the Dredge/Maintenance Canal<br />
Technicians and serve on the dredge<br />
during the dredging season.<br />
Olson is a graduate of Genoa High<br />
School. He and his wife, Jill, have one<br />
son, Colby.<br />
8 | GENERATOR<br />
JOSH SIEBRANDT<br />
Clarkson Local Superintendent<br />
Josh Siebrandt<br />
joined Loup in<br />
2007 as a Journey<br />
Line Technician<br />
at the Humphrey<br />
Retail Operation.<br />
He was promoted<br />
to Clarkson Local<br />
Superintendent in<br />
2008.<br />
As a Local Superintendent,<br />
Siebrandt 15 YEARS<br />
is responsible for<br />
overseeing the<br />
maintenance and construction of<br />
Loup’s electric power transmission and<br />
distribution systems in Leigh, Clarkson,<br />
and Howells. He also directs customer<br />
service in the area.<br />
Siebrandt is a graduate of Pierce High<br />
School. He earned an Associate of<br />
Applied Science Degree in Utility Line<br />
from Northeast Community College in<br />
Norfolk. He and his wife, Serena, live<br />
west of Clarkson with their daughter,<br />
Abigail.<br />
KYLE AINSWORTH<br />
Journey/Line/Service Technician<br />
Kyle Ainsworth<br />
joined Loup Power<br />
District in 2012 as a<br />
Line Technician on<br />
the Columbus Line<br />
Crew.<br />
He was promoted<br />
to Journeyman<br />
Lineman in 2014<br />
and transferred<br />
to Journey/Line/<br />
Service Technician<br />
in 2018.<br />
10 YEARS<br />
Ainsworth is responsible for maintaining<br />
street lights, conducting electrical<br />
locates, and working with customers<br />
during outages and during the installation<br />
of new electric services.<br />
He is a graduate of Columbus High<br />
School and earned an Associate of<br />
Applied Science Degree in Utility Line<br />
from Northeast Community College<br />
in Norfolk. He and his wife, Jill, are the<br />
parents of three children: Brooklyn,<br />
Avery, and Emery.<br />
DAVE MEYER<br />
Crew Leader<br />
Albion Crew Leader<br />
Dave Meyer retired<br />
from Loup after 46<br />
years of service<br />
Meyer joined<br />
Loup in 1976 as an<br />
Apprentice Line<br />
Technician at Albion.<br />
He was promoted to<br />
Line Technician in<br />
1977 and to Journey<br />
Line Technician in RETIRED<br />
1980. He transferred<br />
to Journey/Line/Service Technician in<br />
1984 and became Journey Line Technician<br />
at Albion in 1986.<br />
In 1995, Meyer transferred to Columbus<br />
and was promoted to Crew Leader at<br />
Fullerton in 2001. He transferred to<br />
Albion in 2005 and worked as Line<br />
Technician before being named Line<br />
Foreman at Albion in 2014.<br />
In that role, Meyer led the line crew in<br />
charge of construction and maintenance<br />
of Loup’s electrical transmission<br />
and distribution systemS in the Albion<br />
Division.<br />
Meyer is a graduate of Sheldon High<br />
School in Sheldon, Iowa. He attended<br />
Northwest Iowa Technical College<br />
in Sheldon, Iowa, where he earned a<br />
degree in Utility Line. He has three<br />
children — Patrick, Amy, and Shannon.<br />
TREY HAMLING<br />
Journey Line Technician<br />
Trey Hamling has<br />
joined Loup Power<br />
District as a Journey<br />
Line Technician in<br />
December.<br />
He is member of the<br />
crew that is responsible<br />
for the construction,<br />
operation,<br />
and maintenance<br />
of electric transmission<br />
and distribution<br />
systems and substations<br />
in the Columbus Division.<br />
WELCOME<br />
Hamling earned a degree in Utility Line<br />
from Northeast Community College. He<br />
and his wife, Sabrina, live in Columbus.
REY JARECKI<br />
Carpenter/Utility<br />
Loup Power<br />
District Carpenter/<br />
Utility Rey Jarecki<br />
of Columbus was<br />
recently recognized<br />
for 30 years<br />
of service to the<br />
District.<br />
Jarecki joined<br />
Loup in 1992<br />
as an Assistant<br />
Plant Operator<br />
at the Columbus<br />
Powerhouse. He was promoted to<br />
Plant Operator at the Columbus<br />
Powerhouse in 1993.<br />
In 2012, he transferred to his current<br />
position of Carpenter/Utility on<br />
the Canal Crew based out of the<br />
Columbus Service Center.<br />
Jarecki’s duties include the construction<br />
and maintenance of District<br />
facilities including substation foundations<br />
and buildings, office buildings,<br />
and retail offices.<br />
Jarecki is a graduate of Columbus<br />
Scotus High School. He and his<br />
wife, Lori, are the parents of three<br />
children — Ryan, Liz, and Emily. They<br />
also have six grandchildren — Rylie,<br />
Maddix, Reece, Charlotte, Memphis,<br />
and Thomas.<br />
KENTON ZIMMER<br />
Equipment Operator<br />
Kenton Zimmer of<br />
Genoa transferred<br />
to the Columbus<br />
Service Center<br />
where he will be<br />
an Equipment<br />
Operator.<br />
30 YEARS<br />
In his new role,<br />
Zimmer operates<br />
the District’s<br />
heavy equipment<br />
and is part<br />
TRANSFER<br />
of the crew that<br />
performs maintenance on the canal<br />
system from Genoa to Columbus. He<br />
also works at the two powerhouses,<br />
helps build substations, and maintains<br />
District parks and lakes.<br />
Zimmer joined Loup Power District<br />
as a Maintenance Man at the Genoa<br />
Headworks in 2015. In 2017, he was<br />
promoted to Dredge/Maintenance<br />
Canal Technician.<br />
Zimmer is a native of Duncan and a<br />
graduate of Columbus High School.<br />
He attended Central Community<br />
College-Columbus.<br />
He and his wife, Betsy, are the<br />
parents of four children.<br />
GRANT MEYER<br />
Line Technician<br />
Grant Meyer<br />
joined Loup<br />
Power District as a<br />
Line Technician in<br />
December.<br />
He is member of<br />
the crew that is<br />
responsible for<br />
the construction,<br />
operation, and<br />
maintenance of<br />
electric transmission<br />
and distribution<br />
systems and substations in the<br />
Albion Division.<br />
Meyer is a graduate of Norfolk High<br />
School and earned a degree in Utility<br />
Line from Northeast Community<br />
College.<br />
PAUL BURBACH<br />
Journey Line Technician<br />
Burbach joined<br />
Loup in 2007 as<br />
a Journey Line<br />
Technician at the<br />
Fullerton Retail<br />
Operation and<br />
continues in that<br />
position today.<br />
WELCOME<br />
As a Journeyman<br />
Lineman,<br />
Burbach is<br />
15 YEARS<br />
responsible for<br />
the construction,<br />
operation, and maintenance of<br />
electric transmission and distribution<br />
systems and substations in the Fullerton<br />
division.<br />
Burbach is a graduate of Central<br />
City High School. He earned an<br />
Associate of Applied Science<br />
Degree in Utility Line from Northeast<br />
Community College in Norfolk.<br />
He and his wife, Brooke, have four<br />
children.<br />
JEREMY MOORE<br />
Utility Arborist<br />
Jeremy Moore<br />
of Columbus has<br />
transferred to Utility<br />
Arborist at the<br />
Columbus Service<br />
Center.<br />
In his new role,<br />
Moore is responsible<br />
for safely<br />
assisting fellow<br />
crew members<br />
TRANSFER<br />
with utility line<br />
clearance tree<br />
removals. He will also handle ground<br />
work in tree removal, construction,<br />
and operation and maintenance of<br />
the District’s electric system.<br />
Moore joined Loup Power District<br />
as a Plant Operator at the Columbus<br />
Powerhouse in 2019. He is a graduate<br />
of Cedar Rapids High School. He<br />
and his wife, Carri, have three sons<br />
— Talon, Parker, and Barrett.<br />
KURTIS KNOPIK<br />
Maintenance Technician<br />
Kurtis Knopik<br />
has joined Loup<br />
Power District as<br />
a Maintenance<br />
Technician<br />
at the Genoa<br />
Headworks.<br />
He is responsible<br />
for maintaining<br />
District parks,<br />
facilities, and<br />
WELCOME<br />
equipment. He<br />
will also assist<br />
the Dredge/Maintenance Canal<br />
Technicians and serve on the dredge<br />
during the dredging season.<br />
Knopik is a graduate of Fullerton<br />
High School and earned an associate’s<br />
degree in electrical construction<br />
from Northeast Community<br />
College.<br />
WINTER <strong>2023</strong> | 9
Slight rate increase for <strong>2023</strong><br />
After five years of stable rates, the Loup<br />
Power District Board of Directors approved a<br />
1.6 percent retail rate increase at its monthly<br />
December meeting. The increase comes<br />
amid increasing power costs, material price<br />
increases and supply chain issues.<br />
“Even with the small retail rate increase,<br />
Loup’s retail rates remain among the lowest<br />
in Nebraska and the Nation,” said Loup<br />
Board Chairman Alan Drozd.<br />
Loup’s average residential customer will see<br />
an annual increase of $21.41 for electricity<br />
costs.<br />
Before voting to increase retail rates, Board<br />
members reviewed current rate levels for all<br />
classes of customers, as well as budgeted<br />
revenue and expenses. This also included<br />
a review of a retail cost-of-service study<br />
performed by management.<br />
As part of this review, the board analyzed<br />
the purchased power costs from Nebraska<br />
Public Power District (NPPD), the District’s<br />
wholesale power supplier. NPPD’s overall<br />
costs to Loup are expected to increase<br />
approximately six percent in <strong>2023</strong>, due in<br />
large part to a change in the Production<br />
Cost Adjustment and small wholesale rate<br />
changes.<br />
Loup’s retail rates are 24.8% below the national<br />
average and 8.1% below Nebraska’s average.<br />
Average Prices for Residential Electricity<br />
2021 figures, in cents per kWh<br />
CA<br />
22.8¢<br />
WA<br />
10.1¢<br />
OR<br />
11.4¢<br />
NV<br />
11.5¢<br />
AK<br />
22.6¢<br />
ID<br />
10.2¢<br />
UT<br />
10.4¢<br />
AZ<br />
12.5¢<br />
MT<br />
11.2¢<br />
WY<br />
11.2¢<br />
CO<br />
13.1¢<br />
NM<br />
13.5¢<br />
ND<br />
10.9¢<br />
SD<br />
12.2¢<br />
NE<br />
10.8¢<br />
KS<br />
13¢<br />
TX<br />
12.1¢<br />
OK<br />
11¢<br />
MN<br />
13.5¢<br />
IA<br />
12.7¢<br />
MO<br />
11.4¢<br />
AR<br />
11.3¢<br />
WI<br />
14.5¢<br />
LA<br />
11¢<br />
IL<br />
13.2¢<br />
MS<br />
11.6¢<br />
U.S. Average: 13.7¢ per kWh<br />
MI<br />
17.5¢<br />
IN OH<br />
13.4¢ 12.8¢<br />
KY<br />
11.5¢<br />
TN<br />
11.1¢<br />
AL<br />
13¢<br />
VT: 19.3¢<br />
NH: 19.9¢<br />
MA: 22.9¢<br />
RI: 22.3¢<br />
CT: 21.9¢<br />
WV<br />
12.2¢<br />
PA<br />
13.8¢<br />
12.9¢<br />
GA<br />
12.5¢<br />
FL<br />
11.9¢<br />
NY<br />
19.5¢<br />
VA<br />
12¢<br />
NC<br />
11.3¢<br />
SC<br />
ME<br />
17¢<br />
NJ: 16.4¢<br />
DE: 12.5¢<br />
MD: 13.1¢<br />
DC: 13.1¢<br />
The District has also seen an increase in<br />
material costs in recent years, which coincides<br />
with nationwide supply chain issues<br />
and inflation pressure.<br />
Chris Langemeier, chairman of Loup’s Rate<br />
Committee, said the Board worked with<br />
management to successfully keep rates<br />
steady since 2018. They were able to do<br />
that despite the 2019 storm that damaged<br />
District’s hydroelectric system and the<br />
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020<br />
and 2021.<br />
“However, with the increase in wholesale<br />
power costs and material cost increases,<br />
the Board felt it was prudent to implement<br />
a small increase in retail rates to maintain<br />
the District’s financial health,” Langemeier<br />
added.<br />
Langemeier indicated the Board has implemented<br />
a long-term strategy to maintain its<br />
HI<br />
33.5¢<br />
reserve margin at reasonable levels and keep<br />
retail rates competitive.<br />
Loup Power District’s overall rates are 24.8<br />
percent below the national average and 8.1<br />
percent below the Nebraska average based<br />
on data from a 2020 American Public Power<br />
Association survey. This places Loup Power<br />
in the lowest tenth percentile both statewide<br />
and nationally.<br />
Energy or kilowatt-hour (kWh) usage is<br />
Residential Average Price<br />
(cents per kilowatt-hour)<br />
More than 12.5¢<br />
Up to 12.5¢<br />
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration<br />
Numbers rounded to nearest tenth of a cent<br />
always the determining factor in a customer’s<br />
bill.<br />
Customers in all rate classifications continue<br />
to have opportunities to reduce their costs<br />
by taking advantage of numerous programs<br />
offered by the District.<br />
These programs include energy incentives<br />
and home energy audits. For more information<br />
on the District’s retail rates and energysaving<br />
programs, visit www.loup.com.<br />
For more information on the District’s retail rates and energy-saving programs,<br />
visit the District’s website at www.loup.com.<br />
10 | GENERATOR
Staying Safe<br />
Lineworkers have a dizzying array of gear they carry and wear to safely do their jobs. Some items, like<br />
climbing hooks and hot sticks, have been around since the early days of electricity, though they’ve<br />
been updated and improved over the years. Others, like wireless headsets and arc-rated clothing, are<br />
more modern innovations. Here’s a comprehensive (though not exhaustive) look at the tools line<br />
crews use to stay safe.<br />
Voltage tester<br />
Hot stick<br />
High visibility<br />
safety vest<br />
Hardhat<br />
Face shield<br />
Eye protection<br />
Wireless headset<br />
Arc-rated and fire-retardant clothing<br />
Neck gaiters<br />
Hoods or hardhat liners<br />
Shirts<br />
Pants<br />
Rubber sleeves<br />
Fall-protection harness<br />
Rubber gloves<br />
Wire cutters<br />
Line hoses<br />
and<br />
blankets<br />
Hand line and hoist<br />
0<br />
2<br />
1<br />
7<br />
9<br />
Pole tags<br />
Climbing hooks<br />
Tool holders<br />
Gear bags<br />
Additional cover up and PPE equipment<br />
Personal grounding<br />
WINTER <strong>2023</strong> | 11
2404 15th Street | PO Box 988<br />
Columbus, NE 68602-0988<br />
Share the warmth this winter<br />
Many of us take a warm house for granted. Others<br />
face winter knowing they can’t afford to heat their<br />
homes. Your donation to the Heat Helper Fund helps<br />
these struggling families stay warm.<br />
The Heat Helper Fund was established by Loup Power<br />
District and is administered by Columbus Emergency<br />
Relief, Inc.<br />
All donations are handled locally through Columbus<br />
Emergency Relief, Inc., and 100 percent of donations are<br />
used to pay heat-related bills for Platte County residents<br />
and those served by Loup Power District.<br />
Donations are tax deductible. Add your contribution<br />
to your Loup Power District payment or send it to Heat<br />
Helper Fund, PO Box 164, Columbus, NE 68602-0164.<br />
HELPER FUND