- Neighbors like Cheryl Weston say the coal plant has fueled decades of health problems in North Omaha, and residents want to make sure OPPD follows through on its promise to shut down coal operations.
- After partial conversion in 2016 and years of debate, OPPD set 2026 as the final deadline to move fully to natural gas. Some residents remain doubtful but hopeful as the utility expands resources like Turtle Creek Station.
- Farmers in nearby Waverly, like Bill Belvins, worry about coal trains and environmental fallout. They say the effects of coal pollution reach far outside North Omaha — making this a regional issue, not just a neighborhood one.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For more than 70 years, the North Omaha coal plant has been a towering presence in the community. Built in 1954, it has powered homes across the metro — but also carried heavy health and environmental concerns. Now, neighbors say they want to see change.
“It’s for those health issues that North Omaha residents have been dealing with for years and they continue to deal with it,” said longtime resident Cheryl Weston.
- 2016: Part of the plant was converted to natural gas.
- 2022: OPPD began weighing options for the remaining units.
- 2023: The board voted to retire half the facility and convert the other half.
- 2024: OPPD made it official — the full transition to natural gas is set for 2026.
Weston says she feels cautiously optimistic…