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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Latest News
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 has an opening for the position of Engineering Technician. Duties include, but are not limited to, assisting in the maintenance of the District’s geographic information system (GIS), system planning and improvements, and implementing technology as required to improve the distribution systems. The District operating hours are a compressed work schedule with every other Friday off. This position requires passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Southwest Public Power District offers an excellent wage and benefit package, including paid vacation, sick leave, paid health insurance, and funded retirement plan. Southwest Public Power District’s headquarters office is in Palisade, Nebraska. The region’s schools, small communities, and recreational opportunities make it a great place to live and raise a family. Interested individuals must email a resume, including job training and three references to: jobs@swppd.com . Southwest Public Power District is an equal opportunity employer. Position will be open until filled.
Southwest Public Power District has an opening for the position of Journeyman power line worker. Duties include, but are not limited to, maintenance and construction of overhead and underground distribution and sub-transmission facilities. The District operating hours are a compressed work schedule with every other Friday off. After-hours and on-call duty are required. This position requires heavy lifting, pole climbing, and other strenuous activity and working well with other crew members. Must be able to complete associated written and electronic documentation. Must possess a valid Class B CDL and pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Southwest Public Power District offers an excellent wage and benefit package, including paid vacation, sick leave, paid health insurance, and funded retirement plan. Southwest Public Power District’s headquarters office is in Palisade, Nebraska. The region’s schools, small communities, and recreational opportunities make it a great place to live and raise a family. Interested individuals must email a resume, including job training and three references to: jobs@swppd.com . Southwest Public Power District is an equal opportunity employer. Applications due by June 30th, 2026.
Southwest Public Power District Rate Increase
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 2026. Applicants must have their essays submitted by May 31, 2026 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 Andreas Stihl became known as “The Father of the Modern Chainsaw” when he patented and began production of his first electric-powered unit in 1926. While advertised as portable, the saw weighed a whopping 116 pounds. Surprisingly, the first gas-powered chainsaw was not marketed until the following year by Emil Lerp. It weighed 125 pounds. It was not until the end of World War II that all chainsaws had to be carried and used by two people. Finally, in 1950, the first one-person chainsaw became commercially available. Although these saws were initially gas-powered, Stihl began producing corded electric models in the late 1960s. Due to their limited power range, need for an outlet nearby and safety risk associated with cutting their power cord, they were not very popular. But by the late 2010s, battery technology advanced far enough to place cordless electric chainsaws ahead of gas-powered saws in many ways. Today, we can consider these advantages: Fueling – Simply slide the battery into the unit. This eliminates the need to mix gasoline with two-stroke oil, which often leads to unintended spill. Because cordless chainsaws do not use a gasoline mixture, you never have to worry about old fuel gumming up or fouling a carburetor during long storage periods. To refuel a cordless unit, recharge the battery and re-insert it into the saw. Starting – Have you ever grown frustrated trying to start a stubborn gas-powered saw by pumping the primer bulb, flicking the choke and pulling the cord again with no results? You will find that a cordless electric chainsaw starts the second you pull the throttle trigger. Less vibration – Electric motors used in cordless chainsaws generate significantly less vibration than combustion engines used in gas-powered saws, which reduces the amount of hand and arm fatigue created during extended cutting sessions. Less maintenance – There are no spark plugs, air filters, or carburetors to clean and replace on a cordless electric chainsaw. For smooth operation, you only need to keep the chain sharp and add chain oil when the reservoir runs low. Reduced noise – Cordless electric chainsaws operate significantly quieter than gas engines by averaging 80 to 95 decibels compared to 100 to 115 decibels for gas-powered saws. Several cordless models are rated at 70 decibels or less, which is comparable to the average face-to-face conversation. Lightweight – Though cordless electric chainsaws have the added weight of a rechargeable battery. The absence of a heavy engine block and a full gas tank makes them lighter than their gas-powered counterparts. In addition, there is no need to take along a gas can for large cutting assignments. Size variety – While the largest one-person chainsaws continue to be gas-powered, cordless electric models are available that can compare to those with a 28-inch cutting bar and driven by an 80 cc engine. On the other end of the spectrum, some with a 4-inch cutting bar are small enough to carry in a coat pocket. If your local electric utility is an EnergWiseSM partner, you could be eligible for an incentive of up to 20% of the cost for a cordless electric chainsaw, batteries and a charger. Contact your local utility or visit www.energywisenebraska.com for additional details. In partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, your local utility wants to help you get the most value from the energy needed to get things done.
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.
It’s a common belief that closing vents or doors in unused rooms will save energy during the summer. In reality, this approach can do more harm than good. Most home cooling systems are designed to distribute air evenly throughout the house. When vents are closed, pressure builds up in the ductwork, which can reduce efficiency and strain the system. Instead of saving energy, the air conditioner may work harder to compensate. Closing interior doors can create similar issues by restricting airflow and causing temperature imbalances. Some rooms may become too warm, while others feel overly cooled. A better approach is to keep vents open and ensure air can circulate freely. If certain areas are consistently uncomfortable, it may point to a larger issue, such as insulation gaps or duct problems, which should be addressed directly. Energy savings come from improving system performance, not restricting it. Keeping air moving as designed is usually the most efficient path.
Summer grilling season brings people outdoors, but it also introduces electrical safety risks that are easy to overlook. · If you’re using an electric grill, make sure it’s plugged into a properly rated outdoor outlet. Ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, or GFCIs, are especially important in outdoor spaces, as they help prevent shocks during wet weather. · Avoid using indoor extension cords outside. Outdoor-rated cords are designed to handle heat and moisture. Even then, try locating your outdoor appliances and lights as close as possible to outlets. And if you must use extension cords, place them where people won’t trip over them. · Be mindful of lighting and additional appliances on decks and patios. Plugging too many devices into a single outlet can overload the circuit, increasing the risk of overheating. · Keep all electrical connections away from water sources, including pools, sprinklers, sinks and wet surfaces. If cords or outlets become damaged, stop using them until they can be repaired or replaced. A few precautions can help ensure your outdoor cooking setup stays safe all season long.
Sometimes, your electric bill might creep up a bit in June, even before the hottest days of summer arrive. The increase often has less to do with extreme heat and more to do with how cooling systems operate early in the season. Air conditioning units that have been idle for months may not run at peak efficiency right away. Dust buildup, clogged filters or minor maintenance issues can make systems work harder from the start. Humidity also plays a role. Early summer air often carries moisture, which makes homes feel warmer and prompts air conditioners to run longer to keep the house cool. Longer daylight hours can contribute as well. More time at home with lights and electronics in use adds to overall energy consumption. To reduce early-season spikes, replace air filters before you ever switch on your a/c. At the same time, schedule routine maintenance and use ceiling fans to help circulate the cool air around your rooms. Setting your thermostat a few degrees higher than usual can also help manage costs without sacrificing comfort. Understanding why June bills climb is the first step toward keeping them in check.
