Loup Generator — Spring 2024

GENERA OR
a publication of Loup Power District SPRING 2024
Behind the Scenes:
Power Restoration
2024 Retail Rates
EnergyWise Incentives
rebuilding the Genoa
HEADWORKS
5 YEARS | $10+ MILLION | 51,500 HOURS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bob Cerv
Chairman
Jim Donoghue
First Vice Chairman
Mike Fleming
Second Vice Chairman
Rich Aerni
Secretary
Dick Tooley
Treasurer
Alan Drozd
Steve Heesacker
Larry Zach
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Neal Suess
President/CEO
Walt Williams
Vice President,
Accounting & Finance/CFO
Todd Duren
Vice President,
Corporate Services
Korey Hobza
Vice President, Engineering
Dan Hellbusch
Vice President, Operations
The Loup Generator is
published quarterly
as a service for Loup
employees, families,
friends, and associates.
For feedback, story ideas,
and submissions, contact:
Stacy Wemhoff
Communications Coordinator
402-562-5711
swemhoff@loup.com
Counties receive $2.2 million
Loup Power District recently delivered
inside revenue payments and the second
half of the in-lieu-of-tax payments to the
counties it serves. This is a benefit of being
served by a locally controlled, not-forprofit
utility.
Like other businesses, Loup Power District
pays sales tax, gasoline taxes, motor
vehicle license fees, and permit fees.
The in-lieu-of-tax payments are made to
service area counties in lieu of occupation,
personal property, and real estate taxes.
County treasurers distribute the funds to
the various taxing bodies in each county.
Total in-lieu-of-tax payments for 2023:
Platte — $ 9,713.77
Loup pays communities $1.3 million
Loup Power District recently delivered lease payment checks totaling more than $1.3
million to area communities. Each of these communities owns their electric distribution
systems. These payments compensate them for the use of those systems for the fourth
quarter of 2023. Communities use the funds for a variety of public projects.
The payments were:
Columbus — $982,982.15
Platte Center — $8,782.13
Monroe — $12,154.80
Tarnov — $1,325.09
Creston — $5,596.81
Humphrey — $24,595.31
Lindsay — $55,944.93
Loup Power District renewed its membership
in Community Clubs and Chambers of
Commerce in towns throughout its service
area.
Checks totaling $32,330 were presented
to communities in Boone, Colfax, Nance,
Platte, and Madison counties. Payment
amounts are based on the 2023 gross revenues
in each community.
“Membership renewal demonstrates Loup
Power District’s commitment to community
involvement in all of our area towns,”
said Todd Duren, Vice President of Corporate
Services.
Boone — $5,078.34
Nance — $ 6,445.84
Colfax — $240.48
Madison — $359.27
Total — $ 21,837.70
Cornlea — $1,765.33
Newman Grove — $17,819.12
Duncan — $15,041.53
Fullerton — $28,815.39
Genoa — $21,247.02
Belgrade — $2,965.83
Richland — $2,986.81
Howells — $17,451.91
The District also makes additional
payments to the counties to guarantee
they receive 5 percent of the inside
revenues from the towns in their areas
subject to the in-lieu-of-tax payments.
Additional payments for 2023:
Madison — $35,869.84
Platte — $1,768,090.36
Nance — $125,372.12
Colfax — $114,618.87
Boone — $196,221.84
Total — $2,240,173.03
Leigh — $15,474.99
Clarkson — $17,669.39
Albion — $47,082.59
Cedar Rapids — $19,551.01
Primrose — $1,254.35
Petersburg — $9,840.82
St. Edward — $17,708.58
Total — $1,328,055.89
Loup renews community memberships
Towns and their payments include:
Columbus Area Chamber—$22,848
Albion Chamber of Commerce—$1,645
Lindsay Community Club—$1,552
Fullerton Chamber of Commerce—$1,104
Genoa Chamber of Commerce—$753
Humphrey Community Club—$817
Howells Community Club—$601
Clarkson Community Club—$601
Newman Grove Community Club—$551
St. Edward Community Club—$555
Cedar Rapids Community Club—$475
Petersburg Community Club—$291
Leigh Community Club—$437
Primrose Community Club—$100
Front page: Sgt. Joe Yates with the Nebraska National Guard took this photo of the Genoa Headworks
during a flyover in a UH-60 Blackhawk in July 2020.
2 | GENERATOR

president’s message
Loup still waiting on payment
for March 2019 storm repair
I was reflecting the other day about a
number of things that are ongoing here at
Loup Power District, and it occurred to me that
we are approaching the 5-year anniversary of
the mid-March 2019 storm event.
I know that many people ask me why I call it
a storm event, and I am quick to point out that
from an insurance perspective it was a storm
and not a flood, even though most people call
it a flood.
It is amazing the amount of coordination
and work that went on in the days of the storm
and the weeks and months that followed.
February and early March that year were very
cold and significant ice built up on all the
rivers and streams in our area. Combine that
with a rapid warm up and significant rain fall
and you get the aftermath that occurred in
mid-March 2019.
On the Wednesday night when the damage
began to occur to the District’s hydroelectric
system and water breached the Loup Power
Canal, I was awakened by a phone call from
our hydro operators indicating water was
pouring into the canal. We gathered all of
our operations people as soon as possible and
began to assess the damage and how to begin
to make repairs.
I was summoned by the Mayor of Columbus
and Platte County Emergency Management to
assist them in dealing with the storm, and we
all gathered in the emergency operation center
to analyze the situation and develop a plan to
move forward.
I was proud of the teamwork between
all the parties that day and our continued
communication to develop a plan of attack.
Obviously, District crews did a magnificent
job in repairing the damage and getting
everything back up and running.
On the electrical side, damage in St. Edward
and Columbus was repaired, and everyone was
back up relatively quickly. It did take longer to
repair the damage to the hydroelectric system
(specifically, the canal) as that damage was
excessive. However, all District employees
worked tirelessly to get the system back up and
operational as quickly as possible.
The thing that has taken the longest is
getting payment from the federal government
for the repairs that were made and the
promises of payment made by these entities.
As I am sure you have heard on
many occasions, the District has spent
approximately $10 million on repairs from
the mid-March 2019 storm, but has received
only half of the money to which we are entitled
from this disaster.
The mid-March 2019 storm event is,
hopefully, a once in a lifetime event. District
Board of Directors and management have
worked hard to keep up with the repairs and to
make sure that the repairs will be beneficial in
the long run. By staying vigilant, we will make
sure the hydroelectric system is a long-term
valuable asset for the District.
NEAL SUESS
President/CEO
SPRING 2024 | 3

Outage mapping system impro
Years ago, Loup Power District’s line technicians carried large books of distribution line
maps in their trucks.
They noted upgrades, repairs, and changes on those maps as they went about their work and
then transferred those notes to large wall maps in each division’s home office. Those wall maps
were periodically removed, updated by computer drafters, and rehung.
The system was tedious and somewhat inefficient, but that’s how it was done before the
technological advances that brought about online infrastructure maps, smart meters, and realtime
notes.
Today, Loup’s employees are able to view online maps with a plethora of information about
infrastructure and assets. They can view notes made by coworkers and see which customers are
out of power at any given time.
“This has changed the way we operate,” said Meter Maintenance Superintendent Tim
Ramaekers.
FIRST STEP: AMI GRIDSTREAM METERS
Back in 2018, Loup installed 227 Gridstream energy meters in Columbus as part of a pilot
project. The meters relayed outage notifications within seconds. They also successfully noted
when power was restored.
With that success, Loup began a five-year plan to install 21,000 meters throughout its
service territory.
“Before this technology, we had to rely on customers to call us and tell us when
their power was out,” Ramaekers said.
That meant that big outages sometimes resulted in confusion.
Line techs were dispatched to different locations to try and
diagnose problems. Some customers didn’t report outages
right away and were overlooked.
“Our response times are so much faster now because we
can go directly to the problem,” Ramaekers said.
NEXT: A FULL-SERVICE SYSTEM
The system worked as it should following the
successful installation of all the smart meters. They
correctly noted outage locations and customer
information. Still, the system had limitations.
So employees in the Meter Maintenance
and Engineering Departments
joined forces with RVW, a local
engineering firm located in
Columbus.
Together, they developed a fullfeatured
outage map that relays
outage information in addition to
Loup assets, equipment, maps, and
notes.
“This is an amazing asset to our
employees,” said Korey Hobza, Vice President of
Engineering. “It will put all of our information at their
fingertips when they need it.”
The interactive one-line diagram maps of Loup’s
distribution system offer a broad look at real-time
energy operations as well as detailed notes and
4 | GENERATOR
Journey Line Technician Tommy Wemhoff and Line
Technician Beau Schommer reference the Outage Mapping
System while discussing a project.

ves efficiency, response time
equipment descriptions.
Operations personnel can log in to the system from
tablets equipped with cell service. This means they can get
all the information they might need about a project at any
given time.
They can zoom in on a meter to learn the transformer and
meter number, service address, and meter type and voltage.
They can overlay a Google map, click an outage icon, and
simply click “Navigate” to get directions.
Overlaying a topology map will inform them about terrain
so they have proper equipment and a radar map overlay lets
employees know that severe weather and lightning are on
the way.
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
Loup customers have access to a pared-down version of
the map, accessible at loup.com.
Customers can still call their local office to report an
outage. But they also have the additional option of checking
in on outages online.
The map lets customers know that Loup is aware of
outages by displaying the general location and number of
outages. This expanded radius means customers won’t have
to worry about the public knowing exactly who is out of
power.
Customers can report their specific outage via a link on
the map if desired.
Engineering Tech Aric Alt and Drafting Technician Clint
Albracht helped create the map information by noting GPS
locations and technical information. With that done, it’s just
a matter of maintaining that information.
This used to be done by referring to red marks on a
wall map. Today, the line techs send details over to the
Engineering Department so those changes can be made
electronically and updated by the next day.
Alt said this means faster response times for customers in
the event of an unplanned outage.
Before, he said, employees might have to go to an outage
location to learn about breakers, switches, transformers, or
fuses. Then, they’d have to go back to the service center to
gather the proper equipment, and make their way back for
repair.
Now, they can access all that information from the getgo.
An example of a planned outage as it appears to
Loup employees using the new Outage Mapping
System.
This customer outage map shows four outages
in the highlighted radius in Columbus.
Meter Maintenance Superintendent Tim
Ramaekers views District electrical maps.
Visit loup.com to check out
the new Outage Map.
OUTAGE
MAP
SPRING 2024 | 5

6 | GENERATOR

Headworks repairs nearing
completion 5 years after storm
“Heartbreaking.”
“Sick to my stomach.”
“Way more than we expected.”
Memories of March 15, 2019,
are painful for many Loup
Power District employees.
Uncontrolled water into the
canal. Six breaches. Roads
washed away. A home destroyed.
The shop addition
ripped off and the boiler gone.
The dredge full of water.
“How long it was going to
take to fix wasn’t a thought in
my mind,” said Hydro Superintendent
Brad Morton. “It
was ‘how’ and ‘where do we
start?’”
Five years and 51,500 working
hours later, the repair is nearing
completion.
So far, the damages total more
than $10 million. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency has reimbursed
Loup about $4.4 million.
Headworks Supervisor Randy Prososki recalls the
long, difficult days right after the storm. And then,
the years of work that followed.
“It’s been a long haul,” he said.
WINTER STORM ULMER
The destruction at the Genoa Headworks was caused
by a series of events that caused flooding throughout
Nebraska.
February was unusually cold and early March followed
suit. River ice became exceptionally thick.
Headworks employees noticed it was nearly two feet
thick in spots. They busted up some of that ice with
dynamite and a crane on Monday, March 11.
It was so cold, that soil frost
levels were deep and much of the
area had several inches of snow
still on the ground.
Then, the bomb cyclone Winter
Storm Ulmer arrived with highs
shooting into the 60s, accelerating
snowmelt and dropping rain
on frozen ground.
The rain and melting snow broke
up river ice, causing water to
surge through rivers and over
land.
Federal authorities estimate
damage from the flood at more
than $3 billion in Nebraska
alone. It's considered one of the
nation’s costliest inland flood
events on record.
BREACHES & DESTRUCTION
The Headworks is the start of
Loup’s canal system. Employees
there began noticing rising
water on the evening of March
13. Late that night Headworks
Supervisor Randy Prososki called extra employees in
to sandbag the intake approach.
During the work, they heard a loud pop and ran toward
the shop. Then they saw a light pole fall over as
the whole approach disappeared.
The water began flowing north and they realized
Headworks Park would likely flood. Prososki ordered
them home before they weren’t able to leave at all.
Employees were anxious to survey the damage the
following morning, but they couldn't. Some roads
were covered in water. Others were completely
washed away.
On March 15, drone footage and a helicopter ride
revealed the full damage.
“When we first got in here, my heart just sank,”
Prososki said.
LEFT: The Genoa Headworks before 2019, right after the storm, and today. Above, the Nebraska National Guard
dropped sandbags to help fill an inaccessible breach on the south side of the canal.
SPRING 2024 | 7

MAKING A PLAN
The south side of the canal before,
after the storm, and today.
The area was inaccessible after the storm
because the approach and the weir bridge
(shown below) were both destroyed.
The initial reaction to the damage
was so overwhelming that it
seemed nearly impossible to know
where to start.
“The way we went about doing
the work was to stay in business,”
Morton said.
That meant the first order of
business was stopping the
uncontrolled water coming
into the canal through the two
breaches at the intake.
“We quickly knew that we couldn’t
do it all ourselves,” he said.
Loup was fortunate enough to
have help from its neighbor,
Preferred Sands, which helped
create makeshift roads and carry
fill material for the breaches.
The biggest help came from the
Nebraska National Guard, which
dropped 280 massive sandbags
to stop the south breach, which
was inaccessible because the weir
bridge washed away.
Once those big issues were tackled,
it was time to look to long-term
repair.
“Everybody just dug in and started
to work and we came up with a
plan,” said President/CEO Neal
Suess.
Loup recruited help from
engineering firms and other
contractors. It also had to ensure
that it followed procedures
mandated by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Suess said Loup employees are
used to dealing with emergencies
like icy conditions and summer
storms that may damage
infrastucture. While this situation
was much different, the response
was the same.
"You just get down to work," he
said. "Little by little, things got
done."
And, most importantly, things got
done safely, despite long hours of
hard work in sometimes difficult
conditions.
“The amazing thing was how
people came together at the time,"
Suess said.
Morton said that Loup employees'
dedication is always evident, but
maybe never more so than in
March of 2019.
“The great support of our
company helped us endure the
hardship," he said.
The weir bridge washed away but the supports held and were used to rebuild the bridge .
8 | GENERATOR

HEADWORKS REPAIR TIMELINE
2019
• New weir bridge.
• Dredge motor removed and refurbished.
• A containerized boiler was installed in a temporary
location near the shop. Crews at the GHW steam the
intake and sluice gates each winter to prevent ice
buildup and damage. The original boiler room was
washed away.
2020
• New wingwall/approach reinforced with sheet piling.
• Construction begins on new Headworks Operator
home.
2021
• Headworks Park reopens following repair.
2022
• The water eroded the north bank of the settling basin.
Water continued to erode fill along the bank, dumping
it into the settling basin. To fix the problem, a sheet pile
wall was installed. The pilings are 30' long and driven
20' in the ground with tie backs to secure it.
• New volleyball court at Headworks Park.
• New concrete approach on the south side of the intake.
The north breach was closed with temporary fill for more than
a year. Sheet piling was used in construction of a new wingwall
and approach in September of 2020.
2023
• Bank repair from the Headworks to Highway 22.
• Started repairing damages to the Tailrace banks and
jetties.
• Boiler moved to new, permanent spot.
2024
• Construction begins on new Headworks shop.
Learn more about the storm, the employees,
and the partnerships in an article originally
published in April 2020 at bit.ly/GHW19.
The breach by Highway 22.
More than four feet of water filled the Pawnee II dredge.
The motors had to be removed and refurbished.
SPRING 2024 | 9

Downed trees? Put safety
first when using chainsaws
Spring usually means storms. Those storms can knock down
trees that homeowners need to clean up and chainsaws are the
perfect tool for accomplishing this task.
Operating a chainsaw can be hazardous, though. Around 36,000
people are treated in ERs for chainsaw-related injuries every year. That
risk is lessened with proper personal protective equipment and safe
operating procedures.
Here are some tips to keep in mind any time you operate a chainsaw.
BEFORE STARTING A CHAINSAW
• Check controls, chain tension, and all bolts and handles to ensure
that they are functioning properly and that they are adjusted
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Make sure that the chain is always sharp and that the oil tank is full.
• Start the saw on the ground or on another firm support. Do not
drop start the saw.
• Start the saw at least 10 feet from the fueling area, with the chain’s
brake engaged.
FUELING A CHAINSAW
• Use approved containers for transporting fuel to the saw.
• Dispense fuel at least 10 feet away from any sources of ignition
when performing construction activities.
• Use a funnel or a flexible hose when pouring fuel into the saw.
• Never attempt to fuel a running or HOT saw.
CHAINSAW SAFETY
• Clear dirt, debris, small tree limbs and rocks from the saw’s chain
path. Look for nails, spikes or other metal in the tree before cutting.
• Shut off the saw or engage its chain brake when carrying the saw on
rough or uneven terrain.
• Keep your hands on the saw’s handles, and maintain balance.
• Wear proper personal protective equipment when operating
the saw, including hand, foot, leg, eye, face, hearing and head
protection. Do not wear loose-fitting clothing.
• Be careful that the trunk or tree limbs will not bind against the saw.
• Gasoline-powered chainsaws must be equipped with a protective
device that minimizes chainsaw kickback.
• Be cautious of saw kickback. To avoid kickback, do not saw with the
tip. Keep tip guard in place.
WATCH FOR SPRINGING BRANCHES
Take extra care in cutting trees or branches that were bent, twisted,
hung up, or caught under another object during a high wind. If the
branch is suddenly released, it may strike the chainsaw operator or a
bystander with enough force to cause serious injury or death. Even a
seemingly small tree or branch may pose a hazard when it is released
from tension.
To ensure your safety, identify the maximum point of tension on the
spring pole and slowly shave the underside of the tree rather than cut
through to allow the tree or branch to release tension slowly.
36,000
1in5
$
Head Injuries
3,418
Chainsaw Stats
Kickback causes
1 in 5 chainsaw injuries.
Kickback, binding, and pull-in
cause the most injuries
from chainsaws.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Source: U.S. Product Safety Commission
Each year, 36,000 people
are treated in hospital ERs
for chainsaw-related injuries.
36%
- INJURIES -
Upper Body Area
2,141
Arm and Hand Area
17,994
Thirty-six percent
of chainsaw accidents
result in injuries
to the legs and knees.
The average chainsaw injury
requires 110 stitches.
Most common places for injuries:
front left thigh & back of the left hand.
Medical costs for chainsaw
injuries amount to about
$350 million per year.
Foot Area
2,885
Leg Area
16,348
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.

employee notes
JON BLASER
Customer Service Supervisor
Jon Blaser joined
Loup in 1999 as
Accountant/Collector
at the Columbus
General Office. He
was promoted to
Customer Service
Supervisor in 2016.
Blaser’s responsibilities
include supervision
in the areas of
customer services
and billing.
Blaser is a graduate of Monroe High
School and earned an Associate of
Applied Science Degree in Accounting
from Lincoln School of Commerce. He
and his wife, Gina, have three children
— Jessica, Connor, and Colton.
MICHAEL JONES
Computer Support Specialist
Michael Jones
joined Loup in 2009
as Computer Support
Specialist at the
Columbus General
Office. His duties
include installing,
maintaining, and
repairing the computers,
software, and
communications
systems throughout
the District.
25 YEARS
15 YEARS
Jones was born in Columbus and grew
up in the Rockford, Illinois, area. He
graduated from Harlem High School
in Loves Park, Illinois, and studied
Information Technology-Electronic at
Central Community College-Columbus.
He and his wife, Beth, have three sons
— Benjamin, Steven, and David.
TYLER HINER
Equipment Operator
Tyler Hiner joined
Loup Power District
as an Equipment
Operator at the
Columbus Service
Center in 2023.
Hiner operates the
District’s heavy
equipment and is
part of the crew that
performs maintenance
on the canal
1 YEAR
system from Genoa to Columbus. He
also works at the two powerhouses
when needed, helps build substations,
and maintains District parks and lakes.
Hiner is a graduate of Howells High
School and Wayne State College. He
and his wife, Megan, have a daughter,
Addilynn.
NANCY NELSEN
Customer Service Representative
Nancy Nelsen joined
Loup Power District
as a part-time
Customer Service
Representative in
the Newman Grove
office in 2019.
Her responsibilities
include greeting
customers; processing
payments; setting
up, transferring,
or closing service;
taking service calls; and preparing
reports.
5 YEARS
Nelsen graduated from Lincoln High
School and earned an Associate of
Applied Science degree from Southeast
Community College.
She and her husband, Chris, have a
daughter, Halie.
TRAVIS SHIVELY
Dredge/Maintenance Canal Technician
Travis Shively joined
Loup as Maintenance
Technician at
the Genoa Headworks
in 2023. He
was recently
promoted to
Dredge/Canal Maintenance
Technician.
He is responsible
for maintaining
1 YEAR
District vehicles
and equipment at
the Headworks. He also troubleshoots
the mechanical components of the
District’s dredge, the Pawnee II.
Shively is a graduate of St. Edward High
School and has an Associate of Applied
Science degree in diesel technology
from Northeast Community College.
BRANDON RAMAEKERS
Journey Line Technician
Brandon Ramaekers
joined Loup Power
District in 2014 as
a Lineman on the
Columbus Line Crew
at the Columbus
Service Center.
He was promoted
to Journey Line
Technician in 2016.
He is a member of
10 YEARS
the line crew that is
responsible for the
construction, operation, and maintenance
of Loup’s electrical transmission
and distribution system in the Columbus
Division.
Ramaekers is a graduate of Norfolk
Catholic High School and earned an
Associate of Applied Science Degree
in Utility Line from Northeast
Community College in Norfolk.
NEBRASKA IS #1 IN POWER GRID RELIABILITY — U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT STATE RANKINGS
U.S. News & World Report put Nebraska at the top of the list for power grid reliability based on the minutes of
power outages the average customer experiences in a year. Here at Loup, our employees maintain thousands
of poles and nearly 900 miles of distribution, transmission, and underground lines covering more than 2,200
miles! And they do so with a reliability rating of more than 99.9 percent.
SPRING 2024 | 11

2404 15th Street | PO Box 988
Columbus, NE 68602-0988
3WAYS TO LIMIT
TREE TRIMMING
Did you know that Loup is required to trim trees that grow
too close to overhead power lines? This means balancing
nature with power reliability and safety. Here are some tips
if you’re planning to plant trees this spring.
FT.
FT.
FT.
RIGHT PLACE
Trees that will grow less than 40 feet tall
should be planted at least 25 feet away
from power lines. Trees more than 40
feet tall should be planted at least 50 feet
away.
DONT BLOCK TRANSFORMERS
Plant shrubs at least 10 feet away from
transformer doors and 4 feet from
transformer sides.
REPORT DANGEROUS BRANCHES
Let us know if you spot a tree or branch
that is dangerously close to power lines.