Loup Generator — Spring 2025

GENERA OR
a publication of Loup Power District SPRING 2025
Shorebirds flock
to Loup's lakes
Learn about the birds that rest
in Nebraska during migration
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
A cross-country electric bike adventure
Rate change for 2025
Aquatic Plants
Loup’s canal and reservoirs
are home to many beautiful
and unique plant species.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Soaring electricity demand
Loup’s parks and recreation
County and community payments

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Donoghue
Chairman
Mike Fleming
First Vice Chairman
Rich Aerni
Second Vice Chairman
Larry Zach
Secretary
Dick Tooley
Treasurer
Alan Drozd
Steve Heesacker
Dana Schultz
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
LOVE THE
2
3
UTDOORS?
BE SAFE OUT THERE
Pay attention to weather
forecasts before you go
canoeing or boating. Get
off the open water as soon
as you hear thunder.
Look up for power
lines while fishing
or sailing.
of lightning fatalities are associated with
outdoor recreational activities.
FACT: Fishing is the
most common outdoor
activity associated with
lightning-related deaths.
X
Do not use generators in
enclosed areas. The same
goes for grills, camping
stoves or other small
appliances that produce
carbon monoxide.
Going for a hike?
If you hear thunder
or see lightning, do
not seek shelter
under a tree.
Tent camping? Plan ahead,
seek shelter in a hard-top
vehicle or four-sided building
during a storm or at the first
sight of lightning.
president’s message
District planning $35 million
bond issue for capital projects
During the last half of 2024, the District
started to look at the possibility of a bond issue
for construction projects that are planned this
year and next. Many people have asked, why
look at borrowing money now?
One of the main reasons the District is looking
to borrow money is to spread out the cost
of paying for capital items over their useful
life. Without borrowing money, the District
would have to pay for all of this with cash on
hand, which could deplete our cash reserves
and thereby result in large rate increases.
Does this mean the District will not have a
rate increase? The short answer is no; however,
the overall effect will be more manageable
rate increases for our customers and a
smoother rate path in the future. The District’s
capital budget for 2025 is $8.6 million and the
expected capital budget for 2026 is more than
$21 million.
Additionally, the District’s amended 2024
capital budget was greater than $11 million.
These are much larger than in the past, and
Loup is seeing the affects of cost inflation in
all parts of our business.
Currently, we have approximately $21 million
in cash reserves. Without a bond issue,
these reserves could be depleted. This is not
a fiscal policy of District management or the
Board of Directors. Many options have been
explored, but a new bond issue is the most
prudent way to move forward.
Prior to 2004, the District had not issued
bonds since the electric restructuring occurred
in Nebraska during the early 1970s. In 2004,
the District issued $17 million in bonds for the
refurbishment of the Columbus
Powerhouse and the Monroe Powerhouse.
The District issued an additional $25
million in bonds in 2007 to finance large
expenditures associated with expansion at the
ADM facilities and the need for growth in the
District’s substations.
Finally, in 2012, the District issued $15 million
in bonds to finance many capital
expenditures around the District.
The bond issue for 2025 (projected to be approximately
$35 million) is similar to the 2012
issue and will be used to fund capital projects
around the District in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The Board of Directors does not take
issuing bonds lightly. A lot of discussion and
projections go into the decision-making
process. Like many entities and individuals,
the Board would prefer not to issue new debt,
but balancing the need for future rate increases
and debt needs is something the Board
looks at seriously.
The Board of Directors does a tremendous
job of balancing the needs of the District with
the concerns from District customers. This
is discussed at every Board meeting and is
something the Board has stressed to me over
the years.
We value our relationship with the communities
that we serve and look forward to continuing
to serve you in the most cost-effective
manner with the most reliable service.
NEAL SUESS
President/CEO
2 | GENERATOR
On the cover: American Lotus at Lake Babcock north of Columbus.
WINTER 2025 | 3

Soaring Demand
power use. Recent data shows that power consumption nationwide is set to increase by at least
38 gigawatts between now and 2028. This trend would ordinarily be great news for the power industry.
But government policies aimed at shutting down fossil-fuel-based generation and years-long delays
in permitting and siting for new transmission lines are turning this power boom into a capacity crisis.
Here are the primary demand drivers:
Electrification
Electric vehicle adoption, electrification of home heating and industrial
electrification are expected to increase overall U.S. energy consumption
by 1% per year through 2026.
PARKS
& REC
POWERHOUSE PARK
3 mi N of US30 & 3rd Ave in Columbus
TAILRACE PARK
3.5 mi E of 8th St & 18th Ave
in Columbus, & 1.5 mi S
HEADWORKS PARK
6 mi W of Genoa on Hwy 22
LOUP PARK
4 mi N of US30 & 18th Ave
in Columbus, then 1.5 mi W
LAKE NORTH
4 mi N of US30 & 18th Ave in Columbus
Loup Power District's five parks and recreation areas canvas 77 acres of land
and 1,100 acres of water. They were originally developed as a byproduct of Loup's
canal system. Over the years, we have continued to develop and maintain them
as a service to the communities and customers we serve.
• • • •
• •
• • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • •
New, expanding and “onshored/reshored” manufacturing capacity driven by
federal incentives is expected to increase industrial demand by 13,000 GWh per year.
Driven by explosions in artificial intelligence,
cryptocurrency and cloud computing, total U.S. data
center load is projected to increase by 65% by 2050.
Key products: EVs, batteries, semiconductors, solar power components
Total Demand
65%
Economic Growth
Residential power consumption is
expected to increase by 14% to 22% through
2050 due to increases in population and
steady economic growth.
Manufacturing Growth/Onshoring
Analysts predicted in 2023 that U.S. peak demand will
increase by at least 38 GW over the next five years, nearly
double the growth rate predicted in 2022.
Data Centers
2027
Forecast
835 GW
Forecast
852 GW
2028
Electrical hookups are free, but visitors
are limited to seven days per 30-day period.
Reservations are not accepted.
• Parks open from May 1 to November 1 (weather permitting).
Headworks Park is open all year, but there are no water
or trash services in winter.
• Loup Park, Lake North Park, and Headworks Park
have 30- and 50-amp electrical service.
• No dump stations or direct water hookups.
• All vehicles and campers must be properly licensed.
• No lifeguards on duty.
• Alcohol is prohibited.
Headworks
Park
GENOA
HEADWORKS
Genoa
MONROE
POWERHOUSE
HEADWORKS PARK
27 HOOKUPS
Camping Grilling Restrooms Shelter Swimming Trails Play Equip Electricity Fishing Boat Ramp
Monroe
LOUP CANAL
LOUP RIVER
PARK STATUS
402-562-5709
Call before visiting — the parks periodically
close for maintenance and District operations.
LOUP PARK
15 HOOKUPS
Loup Park
Lake
Babcock
Powerhouse
Park
Columbus
LAKE NORTH PARK
12 HOOKUPS
Lake North Park
Lake
North
COLUMBUS
POWERHOUSE
PLATTE RIVER
4 | GENERATOR WINTER 2025 | 5
Tailrace
Park

Loup’s aquatic plants and habitats
BY DR. MICHAEL P. GUTZMER
Principal Ecologist, New Century Environmental
Aquatic plants, also called macrophytes, are found in
virtually all waterbodies around our state.
Sandbed prairie streams and ponds are typically clear
and generally possess good water quality (especially in
the Sandhills) which can be conducive to aquatic flora
establishment.
There are many more sandpits now around Nebraska
and their water clarity seems to promote aquatic plant
growth as well.
More than 100 species of aquatic plants grow in Nebraska
and Loup Power District’s canal and reservoirs
are home to several of those species.
New Century Environmental has been monitoring
invasive plant species for Loup since 2018 and has
learned much about the aquatic and upland plants in the
District’s territory.
An aquatic macrophyte is a fancy name given for
aquatic plants that grow in or near water. Some plants
grow above (emergent) and below (submergent) the
surface while others float on top of the water.
Aquatic macrophytes provide a multitude of benefits
beyond what most people realize. They are significant to
the ecology of ponds, lakes, rivers, sandpits, and small
streams in Nebraska and throughout the Great Plains.
Aquatic plants can be difficult to learn and identify,
but are a marvel of nature when you take a deeper look
at where they are found and what they look like.
Loup has been providing low-cost, reliable, efficient,
and clean energy for more than 80 years. The hydro
operation results in a natural resource benefit that
provides acres of open waters and moist sediments
conducive to aquatic plant growth.
Lake Babcock, one of Loup’s storage water reservoirs,
has filled with sediment over the years, creating
an ideal habitat for Nebraska’s largest flowering plant,
the American lotus (Nelumbo lutea).
The state’s smallest flowering plant, watermeal
(Wolffia columbiana), also grows at Lake Babcock.
The Babcock plant community and others along the
canal and near the Genoa Headworks and Loup River
in Nance County also feature plants that are less noticeable.
These include arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia),
coontail (Ceratophyllum demersu), duckweed (Lemna
sp.), reed grass (Phragmites communis), giant bur reed
(Sparganium eurycarpum), and yellow flag iris
(Iris pseudocorus).
Aquatic plants throughout Loup’s territory provide
benefits that stabilize sediment, improve water quality,
and provide a home to aquatic animals.
Most aquatic vegetation is found in standing waters
or wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams. Most purely
aquatic species in Nebraska and the Great Plains are
difficult to find in flowing waters.
Plant species are often seen in the wide spots of a
canal, river, or stream where flows are reduced and
sediments accumulate. There are aquatic plants growing
in most standing water in Loup’s territory.
Loup also has wetlands that harbor common and
unique aquatic plants. This profusion of aquatic plant
species — many of them growing in great abundance —
are busy providing a rich and diverse habitat for various
aquatic invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Aquatic
insects, and microscopic plants and animals attach
themselves to aquatic plant stems and leaves.
Natural aquatic plant communities provide excellent
habitat for sport and forage fish. Typically, fishing
is much better near well-established plants and these
habitats provide good nursery, escape cover, and
foraging areas necessary for their survival.
Aquatic ecosystems are under assault across North
America and in particular, agricultural states like
Nebraska. Climate change, farming practices, variable
land use, human encroachment, reduced and degraded
buffer strips, and invasive species all contribute to their
current species expression.
Aquatic environments are most susceptible as they
drain the landscape and land use practices directly affect
the quality of the runoff wastewater from point
source and non-point runoff. The residual nitrogen and
pesticides can create a multitude of issues limiting plant
growth in aquatic systems.
Loup Power District should take immense credit for
creating such unique and diverse natural habitats that
allow these species to flourish.
Lake Babcock and the entire project area has been a
local jewel for nature lovers and outdoor recreation for
decades now. Many visitors and nature lovers are aware
of Lake Babcock’s annual lotus flower eruption. However,
there are many other beautiful and unique species
growing in and around Loup Power Project waters that
are worth taking the time to appreciate.
It is nice to know there are places remaining where
we can still see the beauty of nature. It has been a pleasure
and a privilege to support Loup Power District with
environmental services working in these important and
unique aquatic sites.
FREE-FLOATING
These plants are not attached to the
bottom by roots. Their leaves float on
the surface and the roots hang down in
the water.
ROOTED-FLOATING
Rooted-floating plants are attached
to the bottom of the water body. Their
leaves typically float on the surface
and then they flower above the water.
These plants are generally found in
shallow water less than four feet deep.
They provide valuable wildlife habitat
and stabilize sediments in many locations
thereby minimizing the impact of
erosion.
EMERGENT
Emergent plants are generally upright
and rigid, rooted to the water source
bottom and have plant parts extend
upward out of the water. They usually
occur along the shoreline and grow in
water depths less than five feet. Many
emergents reproduce by seeds and rhizomes.
Although they provide excellent
shoreline protection and sediment
control, they are notorious for rapidly
filling in shallow areas or the fringe of
the water bodies they encompass.
SUBMERSED
Submersed plants are usually rooted
to the bottom and grow upward to
the surface. Their blossoms and seed
pods extend above the water surface.
Some species have leaves that reach
the surface and are a different shape
than the lower leaves. The plant usually
has a long, flexible stem covered with
clumps of narrow leaves. They are
typically found in nutrient-rich ponds.
Some of these plants can grow in water
depths exceeding 15 feet if water clarity
persists. They can also form thick beds
that interfere with fishing, swimming,
and boating.
MOBILE
Mobile aquatic —or amphibious —
aquatic species are capable of growing
as either submergent or emergent
aquatics. This species can commonly
assume a semi-upland or terrestrial
growth form. This is an advantage when
water levels fluctuate and the plant can
adapt to increases or decreases in the
water level.
ALGAE
Algae are small photosynthetic organisms
that do not have true leaves or
flowers. Microscopic, single-celled,
free-floating algae are called phytoplankton.
This gives water a green
to greenish brown tint, but individual
plants cannot be seen with the naked
eye. Filamentous algae, commonly
called moss, consists of masses of long,
stringy, slimy, or cottony strands that
float on top or just under the surface of
the water. Small microscopic animals
(zooplankton) use algae as food.
Chara, commonly called muskgrass or
stonewort, is a larger plant form that
grows in the bottom of a water body
and has stem-like and leaf-like structures.
It is often confused with flowering
aquatic plants and is often undesirable.
Aquatic plant zonation present at Loup’s aquatic habitats. The image is from Aquatic Plants of Nebraska by M. Gutzmer, University
of Nebraska School of Natural Resources, that is currently being drafted. The book will feature common and rare aquatic species
remaining on the Nebraska landscape. The anticipated publication date is 2026. Robert Diffendal is the editor.
6 | GENERATOR WINTER 2025 | 7

PONDWEED
Floating and submersed leaves with
cylinder-shaped fruits. Grows in shallow
water with sandy, muddy bottoms.
Often found in backwaters on rivers,
streams, and oxbows.
SUBMERSED
COONTAIL
Entirely submersed. The tips of the plant
give an impression of a racoon tail. Often
grows under large lotus colonies.
SUBMERSED
SOFTSTEM BULRUSH
The narrow, erect stems grow 1 to 3
meters tall. The flower features dull
brown spikelets. Often grows on
shorelines near cattails.
EMERGENT
AMERICAN LOTUS
Floating and emergent leaves bigger
than a pie plate with yellow and
white flowers. Grows well in shallow
water with fine sediments and has
an extensive root (rhizome) system.
ROOTED FLOATING
WHITE WATERLILY
Round floating leaves and a long
solitary stalk with a showy, fragrant,
white flower that can be up to
6 inches in diameter.
Colonies can live for a long time.
However, many are disappearing
in eastern Nebraska.
ROOTED FLOATING
SWAMP MILKWEED
Grows to about 3 feet tall. Stems contain
a milky sap and leaves are 3 to 6 inches
long. White to pink flower clusters
that smell like cotton candy. Grows
in shallow backwaters.
EMERGENT
DUCKWEED & WATERMEAL
These two plants are often intermixed.
They grow in dense colonies in a mat on
smaller ponds as well as stream and river
backwaters protected from the wind.
Watermeal is the smallest flowering
plant in Nebraska.
FREE FLOATING
MARSH SEEDBOX
Grows up to about 18 inches tall. Forms
mats in muddy, shallow water. Green
flowers produce small, capsular fruits.
Grows in small depressions off the Loup
River near the Genoa Headworks.
EMERGENT
YELLOW FLAG IRIS
Showy white to yellow flowers. Grows
to about 3 feet in moist, sandy areas.
Established invasive plant that is
increasing on Loup property
but is not problematic.
EMERGENT
SMARTWEED
Grows up to 6 feet tall. Long leaves.
White to rose pink flowers. Often grows
in flood road ditches or adjacent
to cattails.
EMERGENT
HORNED PONDWEED
& WHITE WATER CROWFOOT
Horned pondweed has extensive root
systems and hold well in fine sediments.
The flowers are hard to see. Capsuleshaped
fruits that grow in clusters of
three. White water crowfoot has small
white flowers with a yellow center.
They emit a slightly sweet smell.
SUBMERSED
ARROWHEAD
Grows about a meter tall. Arrowheadshaped
leaves and white flowers. Large
tubers and a thick root system. Grows in
the shallower portions of Lake Babcock.
EMERGENT
ALISMA
Grows 3 to 4 feet tall. Large, ellipticalshaped
leaves. A large stem arises
between them with small white or pink
flowers. Grows in shallow waters
in Lake Babcock and in small ponds
near the canal.
EMERGENT
RIVER BULRUSH
Grows 5 to 7 feet tall and forms an
extensive root system (rhizomes). Pale
to orange brown flowers that grow in
clusters of spikelets. Often grows with
cattails or reed grass.
EMERGENT
MARSH MARIGOLD
Rare in eastern Nebraska. Documented
in Madison County. Alternate leaves
and showy yellow flowers.
EMERGENT
SCOURING RUSH
Grows up to 4 feet tall and has hollow,
jointed stems. Random branches
terminate in a sharp-tipped cone. Rough
black band at each joint. Grows along the
canal and near wetlands.
EMERGENT
GIANT BURR-REED
Grows in colonies near the Genoa
Headworks. Distinctive white flowers
are followed by formation of large green
fruits with burrs or spikes.
EMERGENT
WHITE LADY SLIPPER
Rare. Grows to about 14 inches. Long
leaves with pouch-shaped flowers with
maroon blotches. Has not been seen on
Loup property.
EMERGENT
NARROWLEAF CATTAIL
Three cattail species grow in Nebraska.
This variety has very narrow leaves and
can grow 4 to 6 feet tall. It has brown,
cigar-shaped flowers called catkins.
Cattails invade muddy, sandy gravel
substrates with fairly constant water
supply. Grows on the backwaters of
several portions of Lake Babcock.
EMERGENT
SPEEDWELL
Grows 10 to 12 inches tall and has
an extensive root system. Smooth or
toothed leaves. Blue to pale violet
flowers. Grows on sandbars
in moist, sandy soil.
EMERGENT
8 | GENERATOR WINTER 2025 | 9

employee notes
TROY DREIFURST
Equipment Operator
Troy Dreifurst
joined Loup Power
District in 2020 as
a Utilityman based
out of the Columbus
Service Center.
He was later
promoted to Equipment
Operator for
the District’s Hydro
Department.
Dreifurst operates the District’s heavy
equipment and is part of the crew that
performs maintenance on the canal
system from Genoa to Columbus. He
also works at the two powerhouses
when needed, helps build substations,
and maintains District parks and lakes.
Dreifurst is a graduate of Lakeview
High School. He and his wife, Denise,
have three children — Brock, Ashton,
and Lexi.
RENAE SCHMIDT
Information Technology Systems Coord.
Renae Schmidt of
Columbus joined
Loup Power District
in 2015 as Information
Technology Systems
Coordinator.
5 YEARS
She is responsible
for developing and
maintaining server
and computer
configurations for
the District, including
assisting with
network configurations and issues.
10 YEARS
Schmidt is a graduate of St. Edward
High School. She earned an Associate
of Applied Science Degree in Data
Processing IT from Central Community
College in Columbus.
She also earned numerous certifications,
including Microsoft Certified
Professional, Microsoft Certified
Solutions Associate: Windows Server
2012, and Microsoft Certified Solutions
Expert: Cloud Platform and
Infrastructure.
DEBRA PETSCHE
Customer Service Representative
Debra Petsche of
Petersburg joined
Loup Power District
as a Customer
Service Representative
in the Albion
and Fullerton offices
in 2020.
Petsche’s responsibilities
include
greeting customers; 5 YEARS
processing payments;
setting up,
transferring, or closing service; taking
service calls; and preparing reports.
Petsche and her husband, Bob, have
three children — Amanda (Travis)
Ray, Travis (Jill) Petsche, and Eric
(Tori) Petsche. They also have ten
grandchildren.
DAVE ROSNO
Chief Storekeeper
Dave Rosno joined
Loup in 2000 as a
Maintenance Man at
the Genoa Headworks.
In 2005, he
was promoted to
Equipment Operator
at the Genoa
Headworks. He was
promoted to Plant
Operator at the 25 YEARS
Columbus Powerhouse
in 2010 and transferred to the
position of Storekeeper I in 2016. Later
that year he was promoted to Chief
Storekeeper.
Rosno’s duties include purchasing
and storing materials and stock for
District projects across its multi-county
service area. These materials include
power poles, connectors, wire, and any
items that Loup needs for day-to-day
operations.
Rosno graduated from Genoa High
School and attended Central Community
College. He and his wife, Jeri, have
two children — Mercedes and Megan.
They have four grandchildren —
Bentley, Brynlee, Theodore, and
Anastasia.
JUSTIN SHANLE
Meter, Relay, & Equipment Tech I
Justin Shanle of
Columbus joined
Loup Power District
as Drafting Technician
in 2020. He was
promoted to Meter,
Relay and Equipment
Tech II at Loup
Power District later
that year.
In 2023, he was
promoted to Meter,
Relay, and Equipment
Tech I.
Shanle installs, tests, switches, and
maintains substation and line equipment.
He also operates the Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
system, load control systems, and the
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
system for the entire District.
Shanle is a graduate of Scotus Central
Catholic High School. He earned a
degree in Electromechanical Technology
from Southeast Community
College in Milford.
BRAD MORTON
Hydro Superintendent
5 YEARS
Brad Morton joined
Loup in 1990 as
Second Assistant
Plant Operator
at the Columbus
Powerhouse. He
was promoted
to First Assistant
Plant Operator
in 1991 and was
later promoted to 35 YEARS
Plant Operator.
In 1993, he was promoted to Monroe
Powerhouse Chief Operator. He was
promoted to Assistant Hydro Superintendent
in 2011 and the following year
he was promoted to his current position
of Hydro Superintendent.
As Hydro Superintendent, Morton is
responsible for the general operation
and maintenance of the District’s hydro
system from the Genoa Headworks
to the Columbus Tailrace. The hydro
system includes generating facilities
at Columbus and Monroe, a diversion
and dredging operation at the Genoa
Headworks, a 35-mile canal system, and
recreational facilities at five parks and two
lakes.
Morton is a graduate of Pierce High
School. He earned an Associate of
Applied Science Degree in Electrical
Technology from Northeast Community
College in Norfolk and a Supervisory
Management Certificate from Central
Community College in Columbus. Brad
and his wife, Janet, have three children —
Scott, Ryan, and Megan.
Loup pays
communities
$1.35 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 2024.
The payments were:
Columbus — $1,010,462.46
Platte Center — $8,639.92
Monroe — $12,835.28
Tarnov — $1,267.33
Creston — $5,064.76
Humphrey — $25,298.99
Lindsay — $52,064.23
Cornlea — $1,699.57
Newman Grove — $18,585.27
Duncan — $15,548.49
Fullerton — $29,862.22
Genoa — $21,666.67
Belgrade — $3,181.54
Richland — $2,497.70
Howells — $17,420.98
Leigh — $15,641.59
Clarkson — $17,103.67
Albion — $47,149.95
Cedar Rapids — $18,436.31
Primrose — $1,394.29
Petersburg — $10,779.01
St. Edward — $18,121.03
Total — $1,354,721.26
Counties receive payments
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-for-profit utility.
Like other businesses, Loup 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 taxing bodies in each county.
In-lieu-of-tax payments for 2024:
Platte — $ 9,713.77
Boone — $5,078.34
Nance — $ 6,445.84
Colfax — $240.48
Madison — $359.27
Total — $21,837.70
The District also makes additional
payments to the counties to guarantee
they receive 5% of the inside
Loup renews community memberships
Loup Power District renewed its
membership in Community Clubs
and Chambers of Commerce in towns
throughout its service area.
Checks totaling $32,681 were
presented to communities in Boone,
Colfax, Nance, Platte, and Madison
counties. Payment amounts are based
on the 2024 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.
Employees worked on a line rebuild
on Lakeview Road from 48th
Avenue to the canal bridge
earlier this year.
The utility poles there were at
the end of their lifespan. The
new poles with T2 wire will
better prevent against damage
caused by wind and ice. The
inverted construction will also
help safeguard lines against
lightning strike outages and
blinks.
revenues from the towns in their
areas subject to the in-lieu-of-tax
payments.
Additional payments for 2024:
Madison — $37,118.86
Platte — $1,786,199.93
Nance — $125,720.07
Colfax — $113,653.15
Boone — $200,679.37
Total — $2,263,371.38
Towns and their payments include:
Columbus Area Chamber—$23,245
Albion Chamber of
Commerce—$1,668
Lindsay Community Club—$1,428
Fullerton Chamber—$1,113
Genoa Chamber of Commerce—$749
Humphrey Community Club—$820
Howells Community Club—$577
Clarkson Community Club—$597
Newman Grove Comm. Club—$571
St. Edward Community Club—$563
Cedar Rapids Community Club—$497
Petersburg Community Club—$303
Leigh Community Club—$450
Primrose Community Club—$100
10 | GENERATOR WINTER 2025 | 11

2404 15th Street | PO Box 988
Columbus, NE 68602-0988
Tree Planting
GUIDE
THINK BEFORE PLANTING
Before you plant, look
around to see how the trees
will affect overhead utility
lines. A good rule of thumb
is to plant trees at least as far
away from the utility lines as
the tree is expected to grow.
10' 20' 30' 40' 50' 60' 70'
STOP
NO TREE ZONE
No trees within
25' of power lines
CAUTION
SMALL TREE ZONE
Plant trees less than 25'
in height/spread
at least 25' from
power lines
CAUTION
MEDIUM TREE ZONE
Plant trees 25'–40' in
height/spread at least
40' from overhead
power lines
GO
LARGE TREE ZONE
Plant trees larger than 40'
in height/spread at least
60' from overhead
power lines