January / February 2009 - Nebraska Public Power District

Current news about Nebraska Public Power District 

January / February 2009 

Volume 2 Issue 1

2 

ENERGY INSIGHT • jaNuaRY / fEbRuaRY 2009 

Energy Insight is published by 

the Nebraska Public Power District 

Corporate Communications Department 

as a service for employees, customers 

and friends of NPPD. Its purpose 

is to communicate NPPD news 

and information and to recognize 

achievements of employees, retirees 

and their families. 

board of Directors 

Dennis Rasmussen, Chairman 

Larry Linstrom, First Vice Chairman 

Ron Larsen, Second Vice Chairman 

Mary Harding, Secretary 

Wayne Boyd 

Jerry Chlopek 

Virg Froehlich 

Ken Kunze 

Darrell Nelson 

Ed Schrock 

Gary Thompson 

Senior Manager, Government and 

Public Relations 

Beth Boesch 

Executive Editor 

Brenda Sanne 

Managing Editor 

Jill Novicki 

Photography 

Gary Pelster 

Contributors 

Mark Becker 

Mark Miller 

Jeanne Schieffer 

Graphic Design 

Bill Haack 

Dan Zastera 

Reporters 

Marjorie Allen, Chadron 

Darla Wait, Chadron 

Kathy Fadschild, Columbus 

Glenn Troester, Cooper Nuclear Station 

Kathy Nelson, Doniphan Control Center 

Lynn Phagan, Gerald Gentleman Station 

Lisa Willson, Kearney 

Bobbie Morford, Lincoln 

Kathy Eaton, McCook 

Helen Hinz, McCook 

Barb Keating, Norfolk 

Mindy Leaverton, Norfolk 

Connie Knapp, Ogallala 

Eileen Osborne, O’Neill 

Lottie Kellison, Plattsmouth 

Colleen Mathewson, Scottsbluff 

Cindy Holsing, Sheldon Station 

Kris Cross, South Sioux City 

Cindy Klein, York 

3 The Silent Killer 

You can’t see or smell carbon 

monoxide, but at high levels, 

it can kill a person in minutes. 

Take note of these safety tips; 

they might save your life. 

4 President’s Message 

All employees have a stake in 

NPPD’s 2009 business plan. 

Read what Ron Asche has to 

say about the plan. 

6 Chartered Territory 

The Senate is debating LB53 

which could change NPPD’s 

chartered territory to more 

closely align with its service 

territory. 

8 Turning Trash into 

Fuel 

A methane-mining project at the 

David City Landfill is providing 

energy to Henningsen Foods of 

David City. 

10 Brightening Our 

House 

By replacing aging, inefficient 

lighting at three of its power 

plants, NPPD realizes energy 

and cost savings and “walks 

the energy efficiency talk.” 

16 News From Around 

The State 

Read about recent 

accomplishments of employees 

and their children. 

19 Customer News 

Tom Rudloff is the new 

manager of Elkhorn Rural 

PPD; line technician training 

schedule. 

20 Retiree News 

Make plans to attend your 

next retiree meeting and other 

retiree news. 

About the Cover: 

brrrrrr -- A couple of cold 

days in a row brought record 

usage to NPPD’s system. At 

7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, the 

District set a new all-time winter 

peak of 2,129 megawatts. The 

record was surpassed at 8 a.m. 

Monday, Dec. 15 at 2,160 MW. 

Prior to that, the last record 

peak was 2,061 MW set in 

January 2008. 

1 

1 Blocked chimney 

2 Portable heater 

3 Fireplace 

4 Gas refrigerator 

5 Kitchen range or cooktop vent 

9 

3 4 5 

Carbon monoxide comes from any fuel-burning appliance 

that is malfunctioning or improperly installed. 

8 

Potential carbon monoxide sources in the home 

7 

Furnace/laundry 

room in basement 

Bedroom 

6 Grill used indoors 

7 Cracked heat exchanger in furnace 

8 Disconnected water heater vent 

9 Gas clothes dryer 

10 Automobile exhaust 

2 

6 

TheSilentKiller 

Carbon monoxide 

symptoms 

Symptoms of carbon monoxide 

poisoning are similar to 

those of flu: headaches, 

fatigue, nausea, dizzy spells, 

confusion and irritability. 

10 

Carbon monoxide 

detector locations 

At least two are recommended – 

one in the furnace room, and one 

near sleeping areas. 

Garage 

SOURCE: The Associated Press 

D A V E C R O Y / T H E W O R L D - H E R A L D 

You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high 

levels it can kill a person in minutes. 

Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever 

any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood 

or charcoal is burned. If appliances that burn fuel 

are maintained and used properly, the amount of 

CO produced is usually not hazardous. However, 

if appliances are not working properly or are used 

incorrectly, dangerous levels of CO can result. 

Hundreds of people die accidentally every year from 

CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly 

used fuel-burning appliances. Even more die from CO 

produced by idling cars. 

Nebraska ranked No. 1 in accidental carbon 

monoxide deaths per capita, according to a December 

2007 federal study. The report, by the federal Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention, speculated that 

Nebraskans’ use of gas-powered furnaces, portable 

generators, alternative heating such as propane stoves, 

and fuel-burning machinery caused many of the 45 

deaths over the six years studied. 

Fetuses, infants, elderly people, and people with 

anemia or with a history of heart or respiratory disease 

can be especially susceptible. Be safe. Practice the 

DO’s and DON’Ts of carbon monoxide. 

Prevention is the Key to Avoiding Carbon 

Monoxide Poisoning 

ENERGY INSIGHT • jaNuaRY / fEbRuaRY 2009 3 

DON’T idle the car in 

a garage -- even if the 

garage door to the outside 

is open. Fumes can build 

up very quickly in the 

garage and living area of 

your home. 

DON’T use a gas oven to 

heat your home, even for 

a short time. 

DON’T ever use a 

charcoal grill indoors -- 

even in a fireplace. 

DON’T sleep in any room 

with an unvented gas or 

kerosene space heater. 

DON’T use any gasolinepowered 

engines (mowers, 

weed trimmers, snow 

blowers, chain saws, small 

engines or generators) in 

enclosed spaces. 

DON’T ignore symptoms, 

particularly if more than 

one person is feeling 

them. You could lose 

consciousness and die if 

you do nothing. 

DO have your fuelburning 

appliances 

-- including oil and gas 

furnaces, gas water 

heaters, gas ranges 

and ovens, gas dryers, 

gas or kerosene space 

heaters, fireplaces, 

and wood stoves -- 

inspected by a trained 

professional at the 

beginning of every 

heating season. Make 

certain that the flues 

and chimneys are 

connected, in good 

condition, and not 

blocked. 

DO choose appliances 

that vent their 

fumes to the outside 

whenever possible, 

have them properly 

installed, and maintain 

them according 

to manufacturers’ 

instructions. 

DO read and follow 

all of the instructions 

that accompany any 

fuel-burning device. 

If you cannot avoid 

using an unvented 

gas or kerosene space 

heater, carefully follow 

the cautions that come 

with the device. Use 

the proper fuel and 

keep doors to the rest 

of the house open. 

Crack a window to 

ensure enough air for 

ventilation and proper 

fuel-burning. 

DO call the Consumer 

Product Safety 

Commission (1-800- 

638-2772) at www. 

cpsc.gov for more 

information on how 

to reduce your risks 

from CO and other 

combustion gases and 

particles. 

Source: U.S. 

Environmental 

Protection Agency

4 ENERGY INSIGHT • jaNuaRY / fEbRuaRY 2009 


from the 

PRESIDENT & CEO 

RON ASCHE 

THE 2009 NPPD 

BUSINESS PLAN 

DEMANDS 

SHARED 

COMMITMENT 

Ingredients 

of 

Success 

School lunches were an adventure for me when I was young. 

Some meals were hard to recognize, but my favorite – fresh, 

hot pizza – was a treat, especially if layered with my favorite 

ingredients. I remember actually looking forward to school 

lunch on those days and biting into the slice. When we are 

young, our focus is on what is in front of us. As adults, we 

recognize the time and commitment it takes to make something 

that others enjoy. 

Each year, NPPD’s employees 

work hard to make electricity. 

Our customers may not recognize 

the time and commitment 

involved. They may not know the 

combination of ingredients that 

go into producing and delivering 

electricity to power their homes 

and businesses. They just know 

electricity is there when they need 

it. 

But NPPD’s employees and 

wholesale customers know it 

takes planning, goals, 

objectives, and a shared 

commitment to deliver this 

essential service that drives the 

economy and our lives. 

Similar to good pizza, 

NPPD’s 2009 Corporate 

Business Plan must include 

key ingredients or “focus areas” 

that will demand our time, if we 

are to be successful. While each 

initiative in the plan is important, 

we know several will receive 

considerable attention. 

The first is your personal 

accountability for the choices you 

make to be safe in 2009. 

Setting corporate goals and 

reporting results alone won’t 

make us safer. Individually, we 

make decisions—sometimes in 

minutes, sometimes in a fraction 

of a second—that can result in 

a dent, a few stitches, a lengthy 

hospital stay, or even death. While 

we should always watch out for 

our fellow colleagues, I want you 

to focus on achieving a goal of 

ZERO safety incidences 

for yourself. If you are a retiree or 

a family member of an employee, 

share this goal with us. Choose 

to be safe, every minute of every 

day. 

Secondly, the 

improvements and 

additions we are making 

to our infrastructure and 

equipment will increase service 

reliability. Projects include 

improving the maintenance 

practices on two, emergency 

diesel generators at Cooper 

Nuclear Station; modifying 

database and information 

systems to support a future 

“smart” grid that will 

deliver electricity using digital 

technology, saving energy and 

cost; installing a statewide radio 

system and automated meter 

reading equipment. And we 

can’t forget the construction of 

several transmission 

line projects, including the 

completion of an 80-mile, high 

voltage power line between 

Columbus and Lincoln. By 

maintaining and adding to our 

infrastructure, we make a reliable 

system even stronger and provide 

security for our customers to go 

about their business. 

NPPD’s renewable 

energy and energy 

efficiency programs will be 

more visible than ever. If we are 

to keep rates low for customers, 

we need to educate, explore, 

and partner with homeowners 

and businesses on solutions that 

enable them to be more energy 

efficient. If we do this well, we 

will see more customers installing 

Energy Star® refrigerators, highefficient 

heat pumps, and energy 

saving irrigation equipment. The 

District will lead the way when 

we begin construction of the 

Norfolk Operations Center using 

highly efficient LEED (Leadership 

in Energy and Environmental 

Design) standards. 

We also need to continue our 

focus on undertaking more 

renewable energy 

projects to further diversify 

our energy resource mix. Our goal 

is to achieve 10 percent of our 

energy requirements from new, 

renewable resources by 2020. 

For 2009, we expect to have 

about 2 percent or our energy 

requirements met from new 

renewable resources, or double 

what we were in 2008. 

Environmental and 

regulatory issues, including 

various legislative proposals at 

both the Federal and State levels, 

will require a significant focus 

in 2009. We are monitoring 

legislation that could mandate 

renewable energy additions 

and limit the amount of carbon 

emissions at our fossil generation 

plants. NPPD will also develop a 

preliminary design for additional 

pollution control equipment 

at Gerald Gentleman Station, 

complete an initial loading of 

Cooper’s used fuel into dry cask 

storage canisters, and continue 

work on Sheldon Station’s 

improved water discharge system. 

New leadership in Washington 

and involvement by the State 

Energy Office are certain to offer 

guidance, but NPPD has a solid 

plan for moving forward and 

making 2009 a great year. Each 

of us has a piece of the pizza pie. 

So, eye your slice, and let’s get 

started.



Chartered Territory 

...understanding the issues in LB53 

Sen. Deb Fischer introduced Legislative Bill 53 in the Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 22. The 

bill would change state statutes relating to the chartered territory of public power districts. Passage 

of the bill would amend state statutes to align NPPD’s chartered territory more closely with its 

wholesale and retail service territory, thus affecting areas of the state where citizens currently vote 

and run for NPPD’s Board of Directors. The following Q&A with Vice President and General Counsel 

John McClure delves deeper into why NPPD supports this bill. 

In regard to chartered territory, can 

you explain the current state statutes? 

From the original establishment of public power 

districts in 1933 until 1986, there was one set of 

statutes governing chartered territory. In 1986, a 

statutory change established two separate sets of 

requirements. One set of requirements governs public 

power districts operating in 50 counties or fewer, and 

the other one governs public power districts operating 

in more than 50 counties. NPPD is the only public 

power district in the state that operates in more than 

50 counties 

Why does NPPD 

want to see a change 

in the state statutes? 

LB 53 would eliminate 

the “more than 50 counties” 

requirements, thus returning 

the statutes to one set of 

requirements for all public 

power districts. It also 

adds a provision to require 

municipalities and other 

wholesale customers to 

purchase 50 percent or more 

of their firm wholesale annual 

energy from a public power 

district to be included in the 

chartered territory of the 

supplying district. 

What is NPPD’s current chartered 

territory? 

NPPD’s current chartered territory is the entire state 

except for Douglas and Sarpy counties and five first 

class cities which are not electrically interconnected 

with NPPD—Alliance, Blair, Fremont, Nebraska 

City and Sidney. These exclusions are the only ones 

permitted by current law. All other areas of the state 

must be included, even if NPPD does not serve 

those areas directly at retail or indirectly through a 

wholesale customer. 

DIRECTOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE AREA AND TERRITORY OF THE 

NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 

How would amending the state statutes 

affect NPPD’s Board of Directors? 

Currently, NPPD’s chartered territory includes some 

areas where the citizens do not receive their electricity 

either directly or indirectly from NPPD; however, the 

people in these areas still have the authority to vote 

and run for NPPD’s Board of Directors. NPPD is 

governed today by an 11-member, popularly elected 

Board of Directors. Each Director is elected from one 

of 11 subdivisions of the chartered territory which 

include one or more counties. The population of those 

subdivisions—based on the U.S. Census which is 

conducted every 10 years—must be approximately the 

same. 

The issue before us is that customers who rely 

exclusively on NPPD for power supply are at risk 

of seeing their voices diluted by citizens who have 

limited or no direct financial stake in the outcome 

of NPPD’s actions. After the 2010 U.S. Census is 

released, areas that have limited or no long-term 

power supply contracts with NPPD—such as Lincoln, 

Grand Island and Hastings—could have an increased 

voice in NPPD governance simply because of the shift 

in population to larger communities. 

As drafted, LB53 would result in the elimination of 

the chartered territory where three directors currently 

reside (two directors in Lincoln and one in Broken 

Bow), thus eliminating their positions on NPPD’s 

Board. 

Now that the bill has been introduced 

and advanced by the Natural Resources 

Committee, what happens next? 

The bill went to General File, which is the first 

time the full Legislature has the opportunity to 

debate and vote on bills. On Monday, Feb. 9, LB 53 

was advanced from General File to Select File by a 

vote of 36-2. Select File is the second debating and 

voting stage. This step allows another opportunity 

for amendment. Bills on Select File may be killed 

or advanced to the next stage, Final Reading. The 

Nebraska Constitution requires that before final 

passage, all bills must be read aloud in their entirety 

by the Clerk of the Legislature, unless three-fifths (30 

members) of the Legislature vote not to do so. After 

the bill is passed on Final Reading, the Governor has 

five days to decide to either approve or veto the bill. 

The Legislature can override the bill, but it takes the 

vote of 30 senators. 

RESOLuTION 

Of NEbRaSKa PubLIC POWER DISTRICT 

No. 08-151 

adopted: December 12, 2008 

WHEREAS, it is the mission of Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to safely 

generate and deliver low-cost, reliable energy and provide outstanding customer 

service; and 

WHEREAS, NPPD generally supports legislation that sustains Nebraska’s public 

power system and protects the interests of electric consumers in Nebraska, and 

WHEREAS, NPPD generally opposes legislation and regulation that impose broadbased 

mandates that do not account for local conditions, experience, evidence, and 

performance. 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED with reference to the 2009 sessions of the 

Nebraska Legislature and the 111th U.S. Congress and related regulatory actions, 

that the District: 

1. 

Opposes legislation which would jeopardize public power. 

2. Supports water-related legislation and regulation designed to protect both 

groundwater and surface water needs of the District, and will consider the 

surface water and groundwater needs of its customers as it formulates 

positions. 

3. Supports legislation which provides increased funding for Renewable Energy 

Production Incentives (REPI), or for other state and federal incentives 

comparable to those afforded investor-owned utilities and other private entities 

for renewable energy projects. 

4. Opposes legislation mandating a renewable portfolio standard without 

guaranteed adequate incentives to carry out the mandate in a cost-effective 

manner. 

5. Opposes the sale of federally-owned and operated generation and 

transmission facilities. 

6. Supports continued sale of Western Area Power Administration power at costof-service 

prices. 

7. Supports federal legislative and regulatory actions which advance the 

development of a high-level nuclear waste management/disposal facility. 

8. Supports economy-wide solutions to address greenhouse gases based on 

proven science, which for the electric industry, focuses on early commercially 

viable technology development, expansion of energy efficiency and renewable 

technologies, and a diverse generating mix to reduce CO2 emissions. 

9. Opposes expanding the applicability of taxes/fees on public power districts. 

10. Supports state environmental legislation and regulation that is equivalent to 

federal requirements unless it can be demonstrated that federal regulations do 

not adequately protect public health and the environment. 

11. Supports a modification of the public power district procurement statutes to 

increase the sealed bid threshold from $100,000 to $500,000 for public power 

districts with annual revenues in excess of $500,000,000. 

12. Supports legislation which reduces statutory barriers to receive Power Review 

Board approval for renewable energy projects. 

13. Supports legislation which requires that wholesale customers of a public power 

district receive at least 50 percent of their annual power and energy under a 

firm power contract in order to be included within the chartered territory of the 

supplying district. 

14. Supports legislation allowing officer salaries to be approved by the board with 

a majority vote. 

* An original motion was made to approve the 2009 Legislative Policy Resolution, to 

include Item Nos. 1-12, and Item No. 14; this motion carried by a vote of 11-0. 

A second motion was made for the approval of the 2009 Legislative Policy 

Resolution, Item No. 13, which passed by a vote of 8-3, and 1 abstention.



Butler County 

methane project turns 

trash into energy 

If “one man’s trash is another 

man’s treasure,” then that adage 

rings true for the 64-acre Butler 

County Landfill near David City. 

MINING 

Timberline Energy of Denver, Colo., 

constructed and is operating a methane 

recovery and processing project at the landfill. 

Methane gas – produced from decomposing garbage 

– is sent through a buried pipeline to Henningsen 

Foods, an egg-processing plant in David City. The 

clean methane provides a renewable and sustainable 

fuel source, displacing natural gas to the plant’s main 

steam boiler. 

While carbon dioxide is the main gas responsible 

for global warming, methane is also a contributor. The 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 

landfills account for 25 percent of all methane releases 

linked to human activity. 

“Given that all landfills generate gas, it makes 

sense to use this gas for the beneficial purpose of 

energy generation rather than emitting it into the 

atmosphere,” said Jay Hopper with Timberline 

Energy. 

Henningsen Foods is pleased with the results it is 

seeing from using methane gas. “Not only is methane 

a renewable fuel source, it is also more cost-effective 

than natural gas,” said Darrell Kahler, assistant plant 

manager. “We’ve seen several thousand dollars of 

savings each month since we began taking advantage 

of methane. It’s a win-win situation for our plant and 

the environment.” 

Timberline built a facility near the landfill to house a 

compressor and small office. There, Facility Manager 

Ryan Nelson spends his days. On a normal day, 

Nelson does routine preventive maintenance. Because 

the compressor runs 24 hours a day, when Nelson 

is not in the office, he is on call. The plant has a 

sophisticated electronic system which monitors every 

aspect of its operation and actually calls Nelson’s cell 

phone to report any concerns. 

Butler Public Power District built a new electric 

service line—about 1/8 of a mile—to power the 

compressor building. Timberline reimbursed the 

power district for the line construction. “From the 

time we were approached by Timberline, the planning 

and construction for the line took about a year,” 

explained Mike Hiatt, operations manager at the 

utility. “The line was up by October, 2008.” 

The compressor pumps methane from a system 

of 16 wells that were drilled into the oldest part of 

the landfill. The wells are 30 to 90 feet deep. The 

compressor takes the moisture and other particles out 

of the gas. Then, the gas travels through a six-inch 

line approximately six miles to the Henningsen Food 

plant. The system has an estimated lifespan of 40 

years. 

The city of David City provides electric service to 

Henningsen Foods. The methane-mining operation 

currently provides more fuel than Henningsen can use; 

The compressor at right pumps methane from a system of 16 wells at the 

David City Landfill. Below from L to R: Grey Tilden, Timberline president; Jay 

Hopper, Timberline CEO; Gov. Dave Heineman; Willow Holoubek, Butler 

County Development; Mary Plettner, NPPD; Dana Trowbridge, David City 

mayor; Joe Johnson, David City city administrator; Kelly Danielson, Butler 

County Landfill/Waste Connections, Inc.; Darrell Kahler, Henningsen Foods. 

however, City Administrator Joe Johnson reported that 

David City is looking for ways to use the excess fuel. 

“Because the city owns the pipeline and leases 

it back to Timberline Energy, others could benefit 

from the pipeline as well,” explained Johnson. “The 

availability of methane in the area is attractive to 

economic development prospects. We hope to help 

David City grow with this alternative energy option.” 

A ribbon-cutting was held for the Timberline facility 

in November. Gov. Dave Heineman joined local 

officials to mark the occasion. Heineman said at the 

ceremony that Nebraska is one of the states committed 

to the 25-by-25 goal of getting 25 percent of its 

energy from renewable resources by the year 2025. 

“And here you are doing your part,” he said. 

Both the city of David City and Butler Public Power 

District are NPPD wholesale customers.



By replacing aging, inefficient lighting at a trio of our power plants, NPPD realizes energy 

and cost savings and “walks the energy efficiency talk.” If NPPD implements all of the 

recommended lighting upgrades at Gerald Gentleman Station, Sheldon Station and Canaday 

Station, an estimated savings of 3.3 million kilowatt-hours a year could be realized. 

To Mike Teetor, energy efficiency consultant 

at York, it was practically a slam dunk. Teetor 

parlayed experience working at a power plant earlier 

in his electric utility career into a belief there were 

efficiency gains to be made at the places power is 

generated. “I could see a lot of potential for energy 

savings, especially in plant lighting systems,” he 

explained, “since all power plants are lit year-round, 

24 hours, seven-days-a-week.” 

In a rare case of serendipity, Teetor’s insight, a 

national (and NPPD) push for energy efficiency 

and conservation, and NPPD’s implementation 

of its Domestic Energy Research and 

Application Initiative experienced convergence 

and resulted in the District’s Fossil Generation 

Stations Relamping Project. 

What really brought about updating the fossil power 

plants, Teetor remembers, was a general feeling by 

NPPD’s Energy Efficiency team, led by Ken Curry, 

that NPPD needed to position itself as a leader in 

energy efficiency. “We were performing energy audits 

at NPPD’s Customer Services and Delivery buildings, 

when someone brought up the idea that we, as energy 

consultants, need to look at all of NPPD’s facilities – 

including the power plants. We thought, ‘Let’s find out 

what we can do to make those stations more efficient.’ 

“In October 2007, we could see there would be a 

lot of savings changing-out inefficient lighting at our 

four Fossil Energy Supply generating stations,” Teetor 

continued. The four power plants he identified are 

Gerald Gentleman Station, Sheldon Station, Canaday 

Station and Beatrice Power Station. “In a couple 

of our older stations, Sheldon and Canaday, they 

had a lot of incandescent and old fluorescent lamps 

throughout the facilities, as well as some mercury 

vapor lamps,” he commented. 

“(The project) was a team effort,” Teetor continued. 

The team included, among others, Energy Efficiency 

Consultant Josh Rich, Sheldon Project Engineer 

Dave Darnell, electricians and plant managers at 

the individual power stations, and lighting consultants 

from Graybar, Holophane and General Electric. 

“Really, the project came about because of the 

belief we have at NPPD that if we are going to ask our 

customers to be energy efficient, then NPPD facilities 

should be, too,” Teetor said. “The fact that we save 

money and ultimately have additional energy to sell in 

by the Domestic Energy Research and Application 

Initiative. The Initiative began in 2005. Its mission is 

to “learn how to use domestic energy resources in a 

clean, low-cost way to maintain our standard of living 

for our children and grandchildren.” The Initiative is 

funded by NPPD’s customers. “The relamping project 

is a great opportunity for the District to demonstrate 

efficient lighting technologies in our own facilities,” 

said Corporate Nuclear Business Manager Alan 

Dostal. “We need to provide leadership in this 

area to show the value of installing these types of 

technologies to our customers.” 

Work has begun changing-out incandescent light 

bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs and generally 

replacing various old, inefficient light fixtures with 

more modern and efficient fixtures at Sheldon Station, 

Canaday Station and GGS. At Sheldon Station, 

the incandescent-to-CFL conversion is 95 percent 

complete, with the fluorescent lighting conversion 

from T12 to T8 nearing the 50 percent completion 

level. An upgrade of lighting at Beatrice Power 

We need to provide leadership in this area to show the 

value of installing these types of technologies to our 

customers. - Alan Dostal 

the open market or to our native load just makes it all 

that more of a positive for us,” he said. 

Thus far, the project team has conducted an audit 

of all four power stations. The potential savings 

that were discovered by the audit are impressive. 

In the case of Sheldon and Canaday stations, the 

payback on investment by NPPD is less than a year, 

if all recommendations are implemented. At Gerald 

Gentleman Station, the payback is longer, but still 

only slightly greater than three years. 

The dollar outlays for the improvements are 

$45,000 for Sheldon Station, $25,000 for Canaday 

Station and $30,000 for GGS. Funding is provided 

Station is not expected immediately, given the relative 

youth of the plant. “Beatrice was audited, but changes 

would be minimal,” Teetor said. 

All-in-all, a savings of 3.3 million kilowatt-hours 

a year could be realized at the other three power 

plants if all the recommended lighting upgrades were 

implemented. Additional improvements will be made 

over time to capture the remainder of these savings. 

“With today’s environment, any energy savings we 

can make to help hold costs down is worth the effort,” 

said Chuck Troia, Canaday/water/renewable 

energy manager.



Water discharge project to begin in february 

The most visible portion of NPPD’s Sheldon 

Station Water Discharge Project is scheduled 

to begin in February, according to Scott Estvold, 

project manager. The 10-mile long water discharge 

line construction is expected to be 

complete in July, with the entire 

project slated to be finished in 2010. 

The pipeline is just one 

portion of the project, on-site 

modifications is another. On-site 

modifications involve the plant’s 

drain piping systems and developing 

pond treatment facilities that 

will condition the water before 

discharging through the new pipeline 

from Sheldon Station into the Big 

Blue River. 

This project was necessitated 

when the Nebraska Department 

of Environmental Quality issued NPPD a revised 

water discharge permit that included more stringent 

standards than previously required. In order to 

meet the new permit requirements, modifications to 

Sheldon Station’s entire water treatment and discharge 

system must be made. The new system will provide 

control of water discharge from the facility, according 

to Joe Citta, NPPD environmental manager. 

NEW PERMIT 

REQuIRES 

MODIfICaTIONS 

TO SHELDON 

STaTION’S 

ENTIRE WaTER 

TREaTMENT 

aND DISCHaRGE 

SYSTEM. 

“What will happen is that we will have a new 

system with lined ponds that will treat runoff water 

individually from coal piles and several plant 

processes before being discharged,” Citta explained. 

“Water that comes from the discharge 

pipeline to the Big Blue River will meet 

all discharge standards that have been 

established.” Design of the on-site process 

and the pipeline has been approved by the 

NDEQ and construction permits have been 

issued. 

Estvold explained that the schedule is 

subject to change based on weather or other 

uncontrollable factors. He also noted that 

two public events have been held regarding 

the project, one an informational meeting 

in March 2007 and the second was a formal 

public hearing on the line selection route, 

held in October 2007. 

Construction work on the pipeline will be handled 

by Kissick Construction Company of Kansas City, 

Mo. 

Sheldon Station is an important facility in NPPD’s 

energy supply fleet. Two units collectively generate 

225 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to meet 

the needs of nearly 105,500 residents each year. The 

facility has been in commercial operation since 1961. 

Gerald Gentleman Station sets generation records 

Records are made to be broken. And that is 

exactly what happened in 2008 for Gerald 

Gentleman Station. 

On Dec. 30, 2008, at approximately 11 p.m., the 

station broke its five-year old electric generation 

record and completed the year 

generating a total of 9,830,577 

megawatt-hours. This mark 

exceeded the previous record of 

9,782,517 MWh recorded in 2003. 

Reasons for the increase in 

generation include electrical 

load growth and customer usage 

during one of the coldest winters 

in recent years. The result is a 

generation record for the station 

itself, as well as the highest annual 

generation record for all NPPD 

facilities in the state. 

GGS is one of three 

“baseload” generation facilities NPPD relies 

upon to provide power for its retail and wholesale 

customers throughout Nebraska. The station serves 

approximately half of NPPD’s customer base and is 

the utility’s largest generating facility. 

IN DECEMbER, GGS 

SuRPaSSED ITS fIVE- 

YEaR OLD ELECTRIC 

GENERaTION 

RECORD. THE 

STaTION GENERaTED 

9,830,577 MEGaWaTT- 

HOuRS IN 2008. 

“The station personnel have a done a great job 

over the years, in operating the units conservatively 

and keeping the facility well maintained; this put us 

in a good position to set a new generation mark,” said 

Mick Spencer, GGS manager. “While our goal is to 

keep the GGS units performing 

well in the long term, the record is 

a nice bonus, and it speaks to the 

importance of maintaining the value 

of a key asset to NPPD’s generation 

system.” 

GGS has two operating 

units, each is able to generate 

approximately 650 megawatts of 

electricity. Unit 2 exceeded its 

previous generation record for the 

year recording 5,399,171 MWh in 

2008, topping the previous best of 

5,062,981 MWh recorded in 2006. 

Located near Sutherland, GGS 

has consistently been recognized as one of the lowest 

cost, coal-fired generating stations in the nation. Unit 1 

began operation in 1979 and Unit 2 in 1982.



B A L A N C I N G 

STRESS 

in financial 

turbulence. 

Market Cycles are No 

Cause for Panic. 

It is no secret that the U.S. 

financial markets experienced 

increased volatility in 2008, but 

that’s the natural cycle of the stock 

market. While this can cause any 

investor to feel uncertainty and 

anxiety, as a long-term retirement 

plan investor, your best bet may 

be to stay calm, stay invested and 

continue contributing to your plan. 

NPPD’s Employee Assistance 

Program, Best Care, provides 

these tips for dealing with the 

effects of an economic downturn 

and the stress that accompany it. 

Keep cool. Today’s 24/7 news 

cycle is packed with negative 

stories and commentary about 

the state of the economy. Pay 

attention to what’s happening, but 

don’t let the doomsday hype drive 

you to either overreact or become 

passive. Both can lead to bad 

decisions. Stay calm and focused. 

Identify the sources of 

your personal financial 

stress and make a plan. 

Getting your financial concerns 

out of your head and onto paper 

can be stressful in the short term, 

but it pays big dividends both 

financially and emotionally in the 

long run. Review your current 

financial situation and, using the 

information and advice readily 

available online, at your local 

library, or through nonprofit 

credit counseling services, make 

a plan for reducing your expenses 

and managing your money more 

efficiently. 

Use positive stress 

management techniques 

for dealing with financial 

uncertainty. The American 

Psychological Association says 

that during uncertain economic 

times people are tempted to 

relieve stress by smoking, 

drinking, gambling or emotional 

eating. The additional strains 

these indulgences inflict on us 

often make matters worse. When 

it comes to busting stress, stick to 

the tried and true: breath, exercise, 

laugh, and reach out to those you 

care about. 

Turn these challenging 

times into opportunities 

for real growth and 

change. Economists call 

situations like these “corrections” 

for a reason. As a nation, our 

collective greed and fear caused 

us to lose sight of what’s truly 

important. Now’s the time for 

Wall Street and Main Street to 

take stock and change both the 

way they manage money and the 

stress that accompanies it. 

For more information on how 

to manage financial stress, call 

Best Care EAP at 402-354- 

8000 or 800-666-8606. Or, visit 

the Best Care website at www. 

BestCareEAP.org for more 

information and resources. 

Alan Able, instrument and control engineering 

supervisor (TA), Cooper Nuclear Station, to 

instrument and control engineering supervisor. 

Bill Belgum, joint procurement process support 

leader, Sheldon Station, to inventory control manager, 

Lincoln. 

Kevin Block, operator, Kearney, to coordinator. 

Nick Bockerman, systems analyst, Kearney, to 

coordinator. 

Nicholas Brichacek, temporary project management 

intern, Columbus, to temporary construction 

coordinator. 

Shaun Brott, station operator, Gerald Gentleman 

Station, to mechanical technician. 

Alan Carpenter, planner, CNS, to lead planner. 

Tim Chapin, senior quality assurance auditor, CNS, 

to quality assurance internal team leader. 

Thomas Crumrine, mechanical maintenance 

supervisor, CNS, to refuel floor project manager. 

Scott Driskell, security shift field supervisor, CNS, to 

access authorization/fitness for duty analyst. 

Nancy Fisher, lead custodian (TA), CGO, to lead 

custodian. 

Scott Freborg, valves engineering programs 

supervisor, CNS, to mechanical engineering programs 

supervisor. 

Gabriel Gardner, civil engineering supervisor, 

CNS, to nuclear steam supply system engineering 

supervisor. 

Monty Hergenrader, water quality technician, GGS, 

to engineering specialist. 

Todd Hottovy, equipment reliability manager, CNS, 

to engineering support manager. 

David Huff, security officer, CNS, to station operator, 

GGS. 

Bradly Johnson, planning supervisor, CNS, to 

planning superintendent. 

Julie Johnson, land management assistant, CGO, to 

land management specialist. 

Rory Mason, planner, CNS, to lead planner. 

Robert McCarthy, engineering specialist, GGS, to 

water systems engineering specialist, North Platte. 

Todd Mertes, planner, CNS, to lead planner. 

Jeremy Murrish, station operator, GGS, to 

mechanical technician. 

Cody Raml, coop engineer, CGO, to temporary 

engineering intern, Lincoln. 

Ron Rosenberry, inventory manager, CGO, to 

contract negotiation manager. 

Jeanne Schieffer, public relations/advertising 

specialist, CGO, to corporate communications and 

public relations manager. 

Rocky Schultz, engineering support engineer, CNS, 

to quality assurance engineer. 

Bob Thacker, preventive maintenance/predictive 

maintenance supervisor, CNS, to valves engineering 

programs supervisor. 

Mark Uhri, environmental chemist, CNS, to plant 

chemist. 

Joe Vetick, lead surveyor, CGO, to survey supervisor. 

Josh Whisler, planner, CNS, to lead planner. 

Fred Zacarola, plant chemist, CNS, to environmental 

chemist.



from around the state 

York / Cindy Klein, Customer Services & Delivery Representative / 

ceklein@nppd.com 

In October, Journey Substation 

Technician Jeff Bjorklund 

was a big winner at the 

Guthrie Shootouts at the Lazy 

E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. 

There were 4,792 teams 

present and the event paid out 

$591,235 in cash and prizes. 

Jeff Bjorklund Jeff explained that all ropers 

have a handicap number, similar 

to golf. The numbers range from beginner (#1) to 

professional roper (#10). Jeff is a #5 roper. If he wants 

to rope in a #10 roping, he needs to have a partner 

with no greater handicap than 5. Jeff and his various 

partners placed in several events including first place 

out of 208 teams in a #9 event, first place out of 366 

teams in a #9 event, third place out of 234 teams in 

a #10 event, and sixth place out of 188 teams in a #9 

event. Jeff went on to the National Finals of Team 

Roping in Oklahoma City where he and his partner 

earned 8th place in a #9 shootout. Jeff brought home 

cash and prizes such as a Trophy Martin saddle, Gist 

spurs and Gist belt buckles. 

Jeff Bjorklund (right) pictured with his Trophy Martin Saddle. 

Jeff placed in several events at the 2008 Guthrie Shootouts 

in Oklahoma, bringing home several thousand dollars in 

cash and prizes. 

Community Relations/Education Specialist Chad 

Johnson gave electric power presentations to students 

in grades K-5 at St. Joseph Catholic School in York. 

Chad showed safety equipment and taught electrical 

safety to the K-2nd grade students. The 3rd-5th 

graders learned about different forms of energy 

through hands-on experiments. Chad’s presentations 

were part of a build-up to the upcoming All City 

Science Expo in March. 

Chad Johnson helps 3rd-5th grade students with 

an energy transformation experiment. Pictured 

in blue is Brynley Klein, daughter of CS&D 

Representative Cindy Klein. 

Ogallala / Connie Knapp, Customer Services & Delivery 

Representative / csknapp@nppd.com 

Customer Services and Delivery personnel 

represented NPPD in the annual Christmas Parade 

of Lights Dec. 4. “All I want for Christmas” was the 

theme for the evening light show. NPPD employees 

and family members that handed out treats along the 

parade route were CS&D Representative Judie and 

John Sauer, Meter Reader Joe Peters, Economic 

Development Consultant Brian Vasa and Distribution 

Superintendent Brian Buhr. CS&D Representative 

Connie Knapp filled buckets with candy. 

Sutherland’s first annual Parade of Lights was held on 

the evening of Dec. 12. Journey Line Technician Ray 

Diaz drove the NPPD truck decorated with Christmas 

lights. Handing out candy along the parade route were 

Sutherland Local Manager Steve Derr, Apprentice 

Line Technician Randy Jakubowski, CS&D 

Representative Judie Sauer and son, Drake. 

Cooper Nuclear Station / Glenn Troester, 

Communications Coordinator / grtroes@nppd.com 

Retired Lt. Gen. Roger Lempke, former Nebraska 

National Guard Adjutant General, presents Capt. Bob 

Beilke with the Admiral in the Nebraska Navy certificate. 

A retirement dinner honoring more than 31 years of 

United States Navy service was held Dec. 12, 2008, 

for Capt. Bob Beilke at the Pasta Amore restaurant 

in Omaha. Retired Lt. Gen. Roger Lempke, former 

Nebraska National Guard Adjutant General, presented 

several awards to Capt. Beilke, including recognition 

by Gov. Dave Heineman as an Admiral in the Great 

Navy of the State of Nebraska. 

Capt. Beilke enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 11, 1977 

and started his career in the Nuclear Submarine 

Program. During the last 13 years he served in the 

Navy’s Defense Support of Civil Authorities Program. 

The highlight of his career occurred in 2006 when 

he became the first reservist of any military service 

branch to serve as a full-time active duty Defense 

Coordinating Officer in the continental United States. 

During his career, Capt. Beilke was awarded the 

State of Nebraska Meritorious Service Medal, 

Navy Meritorious Service Medal, three Army 

Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, 

National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian 

Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism 

Service Medal. 

Bob is the chemistry manager at Cooper Nuclear 

Station. He and his wife, Vicki, live in Stella. 

McCook / Helen Hinz, Customer Services & Delivery 

Representative / hahinz@nppd.com 

In late November, employees at the McCook 

and Ogallala offices participated in a Safety Day. 

Employees from Transmission, Operations and 

Customer Services had a full day of valuable 

safety information and tips. Customer Services 

and Delivery Representative Debra Shields and 

Sutherland Local Manager Steve Derr coordinated 

the day’s activities. McCook / Ogallala Distribution 

Superintendent Brian Buhr welcomed everyone 

and read the System Status Report.Transmission 

and Distribution Manager Tom Kent updated the 

group on issues facing NPPD and other utilities. 

Kim Feeling of the Union Pacific Railroad gave 

a presentation on hazardous materials. District 

Engineering Manager Jay Dring gave a presentation 

emphasizing the awareness and importance of fault 

currents. The day ended with the group taking part 

in a human performance training exercise dealing 

with communication led by Safety, Technical 

Training and Human Performance Manager Chris 

Overman, Safety Lead Al Woolson, CS&D Team 

Leader Kip Schuettler, and CS&D Technical 

Training Team Leader Pat Budler. 

Sheldon Station / Cindy Holsing, Administrative 

Assistant / clholsi@nppd.com 

Material Handler David 

Hanau won two tickets to 

the ACDC concert at the 

Qwest Center in Omaha 

through a promotion at 

Lincoln’s classic rock radio 

station, The Eagle. Inspired 

by ACDC’s popular early- 

1980s album, Dirty Deeds 

David Hanau 

Done Dirt Cheap, the radio 

station asked listeners to submit a description of 

their dirty job. Scott Kay from the radio station 

interviewed David at the plant. During the interview, 

David admitted that while he does have a dirty job, 

he “wouldn’t want to work any place else.”



Columbus / Kathy Fadschild, Administrative Assistant / 

klfadsc@nppd.com 

Katie Beiermann, Sami Spenner and Laura Zach 

The Scotus Central Catholic High School volleyball 

team captured its 13th state championship last fall to 

end a successful 27-2 season. Members of the class 

C-1 2008 Nebraska State Volleyball Championship 

team included: Katie Beiermann, daughter of Land 

Management Manager Alan and Energy Efficiency 

Coordinator Kelly Beiermann; Sami Spenner, 

daughter of Senior Systems Analyst Allan and 

Planner/Scheduler Lori Spenner; and Laura Zach, 

daughter of Energy Efficiency Consultant Steve Zach 

and his wife, Marie. Katie and Sami were both named 

to the volleyball first team All-State and first team All- 

Conference. 

Mary Young, wife of Resource 

Planning Coordinator Joel 

Young, was recognized as the 

American Volleyball Coaches 

Association (AVCA) Two-Year 

College West Region Volleyball 

Coach of the year. She led her 

Central Community College 

team to a 29-20 record, the 

National Junior College Athletic 

Association Division II Region Mary Young 

IX and District G Championships, 

and a 10th place finish nationally in 2008. In 14 

years at Central, Mary has compiled a 414-237 (.636) 

record. This is Mary’s second AVCA Coach of the 

Year honor, with the other coming in 2002. 

Nathan Hotovy, son of 

HR Information Systems 

Specialist Terri and 

Transmission Services 

Consultant Jim Hotovy, 

was a member of the Scotus 

Central Catholic High 

School mock trial team 

that competed in the State 

Mock Trail competition 

in December. The team 

Nathan Hotovy 

qualified for state after 

winning the District championship in Columbus. 

Amber Mazankowski, back row center; Nicole Wieberdink, 

back row right; Dave Mazankowski, back row right end; 

Hannah Awtry, front row right end 

The Columbus Flames 6th grade girls basketball 

team won the Mid-Nebraska League Tournament 

in Fullerton. Team members include Amber 

Mazankowski, daughter of Financial Controlling 

Process Lead Dave and Amy Mazankowski, 

Hannah Awtry, daughter of Business Analyst Phil 

and Tammie Awtry, and Nicole Wieberdink, 

daughter of Sr. Systems Analyst Darrel and Jan 

Wieberdink. Dave coaches the team. 

Tom Rudloff was 

named general 

manager at Elkhorn Rural 

Public Power District 

effective Jan. 2, 2009. He 

succeeds Terry Carson who 

retired after serving 16 

years in that position. 

Rudloff, 45, began his 

utility career at North 

Central Public Power 

Tom Rudloff 

District in Creighton working 

with load control, then successively becoming an 

apprentice lineman, lineman, line foreman, general 

C u S T O M E R N E W S 

Tom Rudloff named general manager at Elkhorn Rural PPD 

Line Technician Training 

Customers interested in enrolling staff in 

any of the following training sessions should 

contact Joe Sunday at 402.362.7355 or Nick 

Ayers at 308.236.2220. 

APRIL 

Transformer Theory at York 

April 7-9, 8:30 a.m. – noon 

Cost - $350.00 

MAY 

Meter Theory at York 

May 5-6, 8:30 a.m. – noon 

Cost - $250.00 

SEPTEMBER 

Personnel Protective Grounding School 

at York 

Sept. 9, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Cost - $199.00 

foreman, supervisor of engineering services and 

purchasing, and finally operations manager. 

He holds a masters in business administration and 

also completed the Robert I. Kubat Management 

Internship Program (MIP) through the National 

Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The MIP is 

an extensive training program designed to develop 

managerial skills and test administrative decisionmaking 

actions specifically tailored to the consumerowned 

electric utility industry. 

Rudloff and his wife, Be, have two sons, Josh, who 

is currently enrolled in the Utility Line Program at 

Northeast Community College in Norfolk and Aaron, 

who is in the fifth grade. 

OCTOBER 

Switchman Training at Doniphan 

Oct. 20-21, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

No charge 

NOVEMBER 

Transformer Theory and Application at 

York 

Nov. 3-5, 8:30 a.m. – noon 

Cost - $350.00 

DECEMBER 

Meter Theory and Application at York 

Dec. 16-17, 8:30 a.m. – noon 

Cost - $250.00 

NOTE: Dates, times and locations are subject to 

change due to number of attendees.



Kermit Wright of 

Rapid City, S.D., 

formerly of Scottsbluff, 

retired Dec. 22, 2008 after 

31 years of employment 

with NPPD. Kermit began 

his career on Nov. 1, 1977 

as a utility maintenance 

trainee in Scottsbluff. On 

July 16, 1979, he was 

Kermit Wright 

promoted to auxiliary operator 

at the Scottsbluff Power Plant. After advancements 

to assistant storekeeper in April of 1980; meter and 

R E T I R E E N E W S 

Kermit Wright plans to travel during retirement 

Columbus Energizers 

will meet Feb. 19 and March 19 

at 8:30 a.m. at Stack ‘N Steak 

in Columbus. All meetings are 

scheduled for the third Thursday 

of the month at Stack ‘N Steak. 

Paul Badje, (402) 564-8863, 

tailor@neb.rr.com 

Klassy Kilowatts will meet 

March 16 at 12:30 p.m. MST at 

Ole’s in Paxton. Guest speaker 

will be Ogallala Economic 

Development Consultant Brian 

Vasa. Meetings are scheduled for 

the third Monday of every month. 

Tom Pendelton, (308) 532-5040 

tmpen@hamilton.net 

RETIREES 

Kramer Station Livewires 

will meet Feb. 17 and March 17 at 

11 a.m. at Lum’s in Bellevue. 

Art Nelson, (402) 293-1006 

Low Voltage Panhandlers 

will meet Feb. 17 at 9 a.m. at 

the Farm and Ranch Museum in 

Gering. No meeting scheduled for 

March. 

Don Koralewski, (308) 783-1851 

dkoralewski@embarqmail.com 

Northern Lights will meet 

April 13 at noon at TJ’s Sports Bar 

in Norfolk. 

Jim Decker, (402) 357-3788 

relay technician in October of 1984; subtransmission 

dispatcher in August of 1991; and regional system 

control operator in January of 1999; he transferred 

from Scottsbluff to Kearney to take a position as 

a meter and relay technician. He worked in that 

capacity from April 1, 1999 until November of 2000. 

Kermit and his wife, Shirley, purchased a fifthwheel 

camper and plan on returning to Nebraska 

to visit and travel the state in the summer. As the 

weather turns colder, they plan to join old friends 

and meet new ones in the warmer states of Texas, 

Arizona and Florida. 

NPPD antiques will meet 

March 2 and April 6 at 8:30 a.m. 

at Country Cooking in Beatrice. 

All meetings are scheduled for the 

first Monday of the month unless 

that date is a holiday. 

Dot Cornelius, (402) 228-0494 

Retired & Rewired will 

meet March 12 at 12:30 p.m. at 

the Country Kitchen in Chadron. 

Lois McCoy, (308) 665-1625, 

lmccoy919@gmail.com 

York Electrifiers have no 

meetings scheduled. Jeanette 

Richardson, (402) 362-5985, 

jfrichardson@neb.rr.com 

Make plans to attend your local retiree meeting. 

Graduation 

PHOTOS NEEDED 

R E T I R E E N E W S 

Paul Wawrzynkiewicz and Bernie Krakowski at their 80th birthday party. The 

cake featured a photo of Kramer Power Station. 

A surprise 80th birthday party honoring Bernie Krakowski 

and Paul Wawrzynkiewicz was held at the DAV in Omaha 

on Nov. 2. The joint celebration was hosted by Bernie’s three 

children and Paul’s five children. The party included a polka 

dance and dinner with nearly 250 family and friends attending. 

Bernie’s wife, Sophie, and their six grandchildren and Paul’s 

wife, Joan, and their 10 grandchildren also participated in the 

festivities. Paul retired from Kramer Power Station in 1987 as 

a mechanical foreman, while Bernie retired from the station in 

1992 as a demolition inspector. 

Photos are now being accepted for the June 

graduation issue. If you are an NPPD employee 

and you or your child will earn a degree or 

diploma this year, please send a photo to 

your local reporter or to Kathy Fadschild in 

Columbus by May 8. 

Please include the following 

information on the back of the photo: 

● Student’s Name 

● School Graduating from 

● Son/Daughter of 

● Parent name 

● Parent title 

Digital photos must be in “jpg” or “tif” 

format. 

Due to space limitations, photos will not be accepted 

of spouses, grandchildren, or graduates of junior 

high school or grade school. 

Tim Thalken 

recently 

became a 

shareholder 

and director 

of Fraser 

Stryker 

PC LLO. 

Thalken 

received 

his law 

Tim Thalken 

degree from 

the University of Nebraska- 

Lincoln with distinction and 

his undergraduate degree from 

Creighton University, summa 

cum laude, with honors. His areas 

of practice include insurance 

defense and self-insured litigation, 

commercial litigation, appellate 

practice, energy and natural 

resources. Tim and his wife, Daena, 

live in Omaha. Tim is the son of 

retired Columbus Senior General 

Accountant Jim Thalken and his 

wife, Diana. 

NEFCU Awarding 

$15,000 in Scholarships 

Nebraska Energy Federal 

Credit Union will award 15, $1,000 

scholarships for the 2009/2010 academic 

year. These scholarships are available 

to members who plan to attend an 

accredited University, College, 

Junior College, VoTech or Business 

School. Applications are available 

to high school graduates as well as 

continuing education students. Forms 

are available at the credit union and 

online at www.ne-fcu.org. All applications 

must be received by the credit union NO 

LATER THAN March 13, 2009.


ENERGY INSIGHT • jaNuaRY / fEbRuaRY 2009 

23 

We will 

remember 

Jeff Durr, GGS material handler, on the death of his 

mother, Geraldine 

Rita Trofholz, CGO economic development process 

coordinator, on the death of her mother, Helen 

Abegglen 

Jeremy Allen, CNS security shift field supervisor, on 

the death of his father, Fred 

GGS Engineering Specialist Kathy Wenz and Energy 

Supply Safety Lead Doug Wenz on the death of her 

father and his father-in-law, Rolan Brouillette 

former board Director 

Warren Cook passes away 

Former NPPD 

Board Director 

Warren Cook, 

92, passed away 

Dec. 19. A former 

Norfolk mayor, 

Warren served on 

the NPPD Board 

from 1987-2005. 

During his 18 years 

of service to the 

Warren Cook 

District, he held the 

offices of Chairman of the Board, First Vice- 

Chairman, Secretary, and served on various 

Board Committees. 

Warren is survived by his wife, Beth; daughter, 

Dr. Susan Cook; son, Robert Cook; four 

stepchildren; five grandchildren and seven step 

grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by his first wife, 

Johnnie, and one sister. 

our sympathies go out to the following families of events 

Bill Allen, Aurora local manager, on the death of his 

father, James 

Troy Bumann, Norfolk telecommunications 

technician, on the death of his father-in-law, Walter 

“Dean” Kallhoff 

Marlene Lentfer, Kearney subtransmission and 

distribution control operator, on the death of her 

brother, Don Pavlish 

Gina Torczon, CGO cash and billing analyst, on the 

death of her father, Dan Kobza 

Retired Kearney Customer Service Representative 

Helen Blanton, 81, who passed away Jan. 2. Helen 

began her NPPD career in 1960 and retired in 1998. 

She is survived by her sons, Dan, Ron and Rick; 

stepson, Gary Johnson; brother, Gene Bergt; sister, 

Esther Abels; and seven grandchildren. 

Retired Hartington Line Foreman 

Dwight Philbrick, 82, who passed 

away Jan. 7. He joined the utility in 

1966 and retired in 1987. Dwight is 

survived by his wife, Ardeen; son, 

Gary; daughters, Sandra Osborne 

and Patsy Kremer; sister, June Dwight Philbrick 

Parkison; twin brother, Dwayne; 13 

grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. 

Retired Dodge Local Manager 

Darwin “Jake” Hamel, 81, who 

passed away Jan. 23. Jake joined 

the District in 1952 and retired 

in 1989. He is survived by his 

wife, Lorraine; sons, Tim, Chris 

and Bruce; daughters, Becky 

Stecher, Denise Eikmeier and 

Kimberly Lenhart; brother, Millard; 

16 grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. 

Jake Hamel 

f E b R u a R Y 

17-18 NPA Annual Meeting 

Lincoln 

a P R I L 

8-9 NPPD Board Meeting 

Columbus 

16 Customer Meeting 

Kearney Holiday Inn 

The PowerDrive Program is an educational effort 

that challenges high school students to design 

and build one-person electric vehicles during the 

school year. In the spring, these teams of students 

compete with one another at organized rallies in 

areas such as vehicle braking, maneuverability 

and endurance. 

M a R C H 

12-13 NPPD Board Meeting 

Columbus 

12 Economic Development Services Briefing 

Videoconference sites 

18 Customer Meeting 

Grand Island Interstate Holiday Inn 

VOLuNTEERS NEEDED fOR POWERDRIVE EVENTS 

2009 

If you would like to help with a PowerDrive event, 

please contact Diana Luscher at 308-236-2230 or 

308-627-6738. 

March 28 .......Hastings Time Trials, Motorsports 

Park - Hastings 

March 29 .......Big Red Invitational, University of 

Nebraska Tractor Testing Lab - Lincoln 

April 3 ...........Alternate Fuels Odyssey, Central 

Community College - Columbus 

April 4 ...........Cuming County Open, Cuming 

County Fairgrounds - West Point 

April 18 .........Bulldog Classic, Memorial Park - 

North Platte 

April 18 .........Wayne State College Spring Rally, 

First National Center - Wayne 

April 25 .........Kearney PowerDrive, Kearney 

Raceway Park - Kearney 

May 2 ............PowerDrive Championships, Mid- 

America Motorplex - Pacific Junction, 

Iowa

Rick 

Renewable Energy 

Technician 

Ainsworth 

P.O. Box 499 

Columbus, NE 68602-0499 

Address Service Requested 

I am where I want to be! 

WHERE DOES YOUR CAREER TAKE YOU? 

For employment opportunities, visit www.nppd.com. 

PRSRT STD 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

COLUMBUS NE 

PERMIT NO. 3

January / February 2009 - Nebraska Public Power District

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