Sierra Club Nebraska Reacts to OPPD Extending Life of Aging Coal Plant

OMAHA, Neb. - Today, the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) board voted to extend the life of a dangerous coal-fired power plant that has been harming the health of North Omaha families for more than 70 years. In 2014, OPPD committed to retiring the polluting North Omaha Station, which has a documented history of reliability issues. The majority of OPPD board members have decided to no longer honor that commitment and now plan to burn coal indefinitely at the North Omaha Station. Board Directors Eric Williams and Sara Howard voted against the ongoing use of coal.

In the weeks leading up to the board's vote, several health experts weighed in on the serious health risks from burning coal, including Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse. In a letter to OPPD, Huse wrote, "Continuing the operation of coal-fired generation represents a clear detrimental impact to human health, exacerbates existing health inequities, and imposes an unacceptable burden on specific communities, most notably North Omaha." Studies have foundthat the historically Black neighborhood is exposed to significant amounts of air pollution linked to high rates of asthma.

In response, Ken Winston, Sierra Club Nebraska Chapter Director, released the following statement:

"OPPD's decision to continue burning dirty coal is devastating news, especially for our friends in North Omaha. OPPD is making a bad habit of breaking promises that leave our most vulnerable communities at risk, clearly violating its environmental justice policy. Meanwhile, Omaha families are enduring life-threatening air pollution, never-ending medical expenses, and volatile coal prices. The Sierra Club has fought to retire this old, dirty coal plant alongside the North Omaha community for nearly 15 years, and we will continue to stand with the people of this community, demanding that OPPD honor its promises going forward-promises to invest in clean energy, demand side management, and distributed energy resources. And we absolutely demand that OPPD create and follow through with a plan to retire and refuel the North Omaha Station as soon as possible.

The only people who profit from keeping aging, unreliable coal plants online are fossil fuel executives. Now more than ever, we must insist on an equitable transition away from deadly coal toward reliable, homegrown clean energy. Sierra Club will continue to fight for the clean, affordable energy future that all Nebraskans deserve."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.