Welcome to SWPPD
Located in Palisade serving five counties in Southwest Nebraska including: Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Red Willow. Servicing 2,585 miles of line, 6,452 meters, and over 109,000 Horsepower of irrigation load.
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Our main concern is servicing you to the best of our ability and being part of this great community. Here we will keep you informed about current news and things happening at SWPPD including widespread outage situations.
Southwest Public Power District located in southwest Nebraska, has an opening for the position of System Engineer. The System Engineer is responsible for recommending, planning and overseeing engineering projects, maintaining the District’s electric distribution models and assisting the operations department by providing technical support. This position will oversee all aspects of the engineering requirements and implement current and future technologies to ensure a safe, reliable and efficient electric distribution system. SWPPD’s operating hours are compressed work schedule with every other Friday off. A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or electrical engineering technology is required. In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 5 years of experience in an engineering position at an electric utility may be considered. An effective working knowledge of electrical distribution system operations is required. A valid Nebraska driver’s license and passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol test is required. Southwest Public Power District offers an excellent wage and benefit package, including paid vacation, sick leave, paid health insurance, and funded retirement plans. Southwest Public Power District is an equal opportunity employer and is headquartered in Palisade, Nebraska. The region’s schools, small communities, and recreational opportunities make it a great place to live and raise a family. Qualified candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume and references to Gary Hanken, System Engineer – jobs@swppd.com. Position will be open until filled.
Effective January 1, 2025, Southwest Public Power District will implement an overall 2.4% rate increase to the customers of the District. During the Southwest Public Power District board meeting held on November 20th, 2024, management with help from a third-party rate consultant, presented to the Board of Directors a current Cost of Service study. The Board of Directors reviewed the study and approved the new retail rates as recommended by management. Over the past 12 years, SWPPD customers have received safe and reliable electricity without experiencing an overall annual customer rate increase in energy usage. In fact, since 2019, a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) credit has been passed through from our energy provider making kilowatt hour (kWh) rates even cheaper than they were twelve years ago. Aside from a customer charge increase on single phase service in 2022, this will be the first increase in kWh usage since 2013. Over this same period of time, inflation has risen by 33% with the majority of these increases coming in the past 4 years. Since 2022, we have seen an increase of between 30% to more than 100% in the costs of material items such as wire and transformers. We are also forced to keep more material on hand since it is taking longer to acquire those materials. These increases are the driving force that continues to pressure the District to maintain our financial integrity while at the same time, supporting the necessary maintenance and upgrades of the electric plant. Some projects have even been delayed in an effort to reduce costs, but that is proving to be only a short-term fix. A recent study from Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply Inc (CEEUS) shows that over the last 4 years, transformers are 99% more expensive today. Conductor has increased 62% while crossarms and poles cost over 103% more today. . Southwest Public Power District has been able to cope with rising inflation and expenses while still maintaining rates well below the national average. This has been accomplished by an extremely good working relationship between the employees of SWPPD and the Board of Directors keeping well informed and making sound educated business decisions in an effort to maintain the primary purpose for the establishment of SWPPD: to bring safe-dependable-affordable power to our customers. Although no one likes to see the cost of their utilities increase, it is crucial for SWPPD to continue to meet our financial goals and provide you with safe and reliable electricity. The new rates can be viewed on our website at www.swppd.com/rates-payment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (308)285-3295.
Southwest Public Power District is proud to announce the Frank & Betty Potthoff Memorial Scholarship Program! Frank and Betty Potthoff were both formerly employed by SWPPD, and the Potthoff family has generously offered to fund this scholarship as a memorial to them. This $500 per semester scholarship will help a student attend the Utility Line Program at either Northeast Community College or Western Nebraska Community College. To qualify for the scholarship students must be a high school senior or graduate and reside in the border territory generally served by SWPPD and all towns therein. The applicant must have already applied to be admitted to the Utility Line Program at either college and have been accepted or placed on a waiting list. To apply for the scholarship, the student must submit a personal essay to SWPPD not more than 350 words in length explaining why they are interested in the Utility Line Program as their course of study. They must also provide their class rank and GPA. If the applicant has graduated high school and is attending college, they must submit college transcripts with their essay. Applicant essays will be forwarded to a selection committee. SWPPD would like to award the first scholarship for the Fall semester of 2023. Applicants must have their essays submitted by May 31, 2023 in order to be eligible. Please contact Frank Bonini at (308)285-3295, or frankb@swppd.com, with questions.
As the country continues to recover from the many recent global and national events, the supply chain issues are going to remain a challenge for at least the next 12 to 24 months. The inventory SWPPD requires to build and maintain new and existing services has been strained. Today, the current order lead time for transformers used in our industry are estimated to be approximately 52 weeks out. Unfortunately, transformers are not the only inventory item of concern. Everything from the raw materials used in our conductor wire to the poles, cross-arms and bolts used in construction have been impacted. The trade associations and organizations we belong to have been proactive in working with the federal government and with manufacturers to make sure we have what we need to serve our customers. SWPPD has adapted by ordering supplies further in advance and in larger quantities when the manufacturer allows. We also continue to recycle and reuse materials where possible. Materials ordered by SWPPD are also subject to change based on several unexpected events such as national and local storm restoration needs, transportation costs and availability, raw material interruptions and many other possible unexpected scenarios. These circumstances have been substantial enough that we can no longer guarantee that new services will be completed prior to the summer of 2023. More specifically, no new irrigation service requests that are not already in our que will be built before the summer of 2023. Therefore, any new service requests for the rest of the year will be put on a waiting list on a “first come, first serve” basis. The Board and Management at SWPPD felt strongly that it was better to communicate this delay to our customers as far in advance as possible to make the necessary adjustments in your plans if you are considering a new service in 2023. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please reach out to SWPPD if you have any questions.
EnergyWise℠ Tips
Saving energy is something we all strive to do. Here we have a complete blog dedicated to energywise tips regarding the electric industry.
By: NPPD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer You know it’s springtime when you hear certain sounds in the fresh morning air: the gentle rumble of an approaching thunderstorm, the soft buzzing of bees pollinating flowers, the singing of songbirds announcing their return . . . and that overzealous neighbor who always starts mowing before 7 a.m. on Sundays! You know what that neighbor needs? A robotic mower. Most operate within the range of 55 to 60 decibels (dB). That’s the average level of a conversation between two people speaking in a soft to normal voice. Your neighbor’s gas-powered mower, like others, probably ranges between 90 to 100 dB. That’s the same level of noise produced by hairdryers, blenders and motorcycles. You could also tell your neighbor about the other great advantages robotic mowers have, including: Time savings Whether you’re on vacation or doing projects around the house, robotic mowers operate autonomously, allowing you to set a schedule and forget about mowing. When the mower’s battery is nearly depleted, the mower heads to its station for recharging, which usually takes one to three hours. Then it heads back to keep mowing where it left off. Less maintenance The blades on a robotic mower should be replaced every two to three months. Other than that, occasionally clean the undercarriage, then check and lubricate moving parts, and you should be set. Compare that to the hassle of removing and sharpening blades and changing oil when relying on a gas-powered mower. Healthier lawn Because robotic mowers are designed to mow more frequently, clippings are smaller and decompose more quickly. Compared to mowing once or twice a week with a gas-powered mower, the robotic mower’s reduced length of cut creates less stress to grass and helps to promote a healthier, denser lawn. Efficiency and energy cost savings Consider the seasonal energy use and cost for mowing the average Nebraska lawn, which is reported to be 13,921 square feet according to Today's Homeowner, the #1 syndicated home improvement TV show in the U.S. Over the course of a seven-month mowing season, a randomly selected robotic mower clips the lawn every other day and consumes almost 62 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. At last mowing season’s average cost of 11.56¢ per kWh in Nebraska, the total is about $7.14. In comparison, this size of lawn could be trimmed with a 21-inch, gas-powered mulching push mower every third day. By the end of the same seven-month mowing season, the push mower will have used 35½ gallons of gasoline and required 71 hours of someone’s time to push it. If gas were $3 per gallon, that comes to $106.50. You can determine what 71 hours of free time is worth. Safety Cutting on slopes with push or riding mowers always presents a safety concern. Robotic mowers can typically mow slopes of 20-35 degrees, with some tackling even steeper grades. More advanced models have sensors that can detect obstacles and maneuver around them or even automatically stop the blades when the mower is lifted. With a little luck, your neighbor’s early morning lawncare routine will never disrupt your morning tranquility again. Who knows? By now, maybe you’re interested in a robotic mower. To find additional information about incentives for purchasing a robotic mower or other energy-saving opportunities, contact Southwest Public Power District or visit www.energywisenebraska.com
We Value Your Opinion
Southwest Public Power District is committed to providing the best possible customer service. We value input from our customers and invite you to use the Contact Us form to share your comments, concerns, questions and suggestions. Compliments are accepted as well! Rest assured that all correspondence will be reviewed and handled with professional confidence and courtesy.
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Board of Directors
In March of 1945, the Southwest Electric Membership Corporation was born and electric light took its first steps to become an active part of life in southwest Nebraska. At the time nine men were elected to the board of directors. Many things in the electrical industry have changed over the years but one thing remains the same, continued leadership and dedication to the electrical needs of southwest Nebraska.
Meet The Board
A tour of Southwest Nebraska….our home.
We live in a very special place with proud and hard working communities. This video is a small peak into the places we call home in the southwest corner of Nebraska. Southwest Public Power District is proud to be a part of these communities. If you are not able to see our video here visit YouTube.
Stay Informed
Manager's Articles
General Manager Colyn Suda will keep you updated with monthly articles from SWPPD about industry news, safety tips, and ways to save you money. Also, this is your direct link to the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. Here you will find information about industry and political events and you can also sign-up for notifications.
The comfortable spring weather is more likely to nudge you to open your windows than to turn on the air conditioner—and that makes this the perfect time to make sure your a/c is in shape for the summer heat that’s just a few months away. The best time to service your home’s air conditioning system is when you don’t need it. If you put it off until it’s 90 degrees outdoors, you could be dealing with some down time that can leave your home pretty uncomfortable. Annual service is important because your technician will lubricate and clean moving parts and check for—and repair—potential problems. That will make it more likely that your system will run smoothly all summer. Choose an a/c tech who is licensed by the state. Chances are the same tech can come back in the fall to tune up your heating system.
If you’re lucky enough to have an unused room to convert to a home office, a home gym or a home theater, add one more item to your “to do” list: Call an electrician. Setting up any of those rooms involves moving in a lot of big electronic equipment live a treadmill, a giant-screen TV, computers and printers, and stereo components. It’s quite possible that the electrical receptacles in the room won’t be able to handle the equipment that uses as much electricity as those pieces do. You also might not have enough outlets for all of the things you’ll need to plug in. Sure, you can buy a power strip that allows you to plug multiple pieces of equipment into a single outlet. But that power strip won’t add any juice to the circuit that powers that single outlet—which means you can overload it and set yourself up to trip your circuits or even cause overheating or a fire. So before you start using your home gym to get in shape, get the room in shape first. Ask a licensed electrician to inspect the room’s outlets and power supply and determine if you need to upgrade.
Southwest Public Power District will never send anyone to your house to ask you if you need work done. And when someone does come for a legitimate reason, you’ll see a uniform, a truck with our logo on it and valid identification. Springtime is scam season. Don’t be surprised if you get telephone calls, uninvited visitors looking for work and loads of door hangers offering landscaping, roofing, painting and home-repair services. Your best bet: Say no to all of them. If you need work done around your house, visit the website of the state agency responsible for licensing contractors or join a contractor referral network that recommends only contractors who are licensed, insured, bonded and experienced. A few other tips: •Be wary of contractors with out-of-state license plates or detachable, magnetic company signs on their trucks. These could be “travelers,” who follow the warm weather from state to state and hire themselves out as home-improvement contractors. They’re almost always unlicensed in your state, and if you discover a problem with their work later, they’ll be long gone. •Do not pay in cash, and do not pay up front. Instead, work out a payment schedule that allows you to pay in increments as the work is completed. •Get bids from three reputable companies before you start. If you get one offer that’s way lower than the other two, something is probably amiss. •Don’t fall for these two lines: “I just finished a job at your neighbor’s house and I’ll give you a good price if you hire me today because I’m already in the neighborhood” or “I have leftover materials from a job I just did and I’ll sell/install them here for a deep discount because I don’t need them.” Hiring contractors can be expensive. Don’t waste your money on one who’s not licensed and legitimate.
