English (United States)
When I was young, my grandparents instilled in me the belief that a penny saved is a penny earned. I carried this mantra with me from my very first job working for my dad’s farm supply store in Tilden through my very favorite job, where I am blessed to be CEO here at NPPD.
Living through the Great Depression taught my grandparents the power of scrimping and saving in preparation for an unknown future. It was a way to gain stability and control during a turbulent time. It’s a lesson in responsibility that’s suited me well over the decades, and one I know you take seriously too, particularly given the inflation we are experiencing today in all areas of life.
This inflation is being felt in the energy industry as well, strengthening our resolve to operate in a fiscally responsible manner – and one that lessens rate impacts for all our customers.
It’s something we’re paying close attention to particularly as we begin building new generation for our customers’ growing energy needs.
Nationally, other utilities are seeing a similar upswing in demand for energy and the need for related infrastructure required to serve their own customers. This has resulted in electric utility customers across the nation experiencing significant rate increases in recent years.
Closer to home at the regional level, private and public power retail rate increases in 2025 are averaging 6.3%, with public power utility increases alone averaging 3.7%. This is due largely to grid modernization, increasing generation capacity, investments in renewable energy, and environmental regulations.
NPPD’s approach is always to put customers first. We do this by carefully balancing the type and amount of generation we plan to add in the upcoming years with customers’ true energy needs and rates that remain affordable and competitive. We do this even as we continue to experience supply chain disruption, material cost increases, fleet and facility cost increases and more that – like others nationally – puts upward pressure on rates.
In 2025, we raised our retail rates by 2% for the first time in 11 years. This equates to about $3.25 more on our average residential customers’ bills per month. Meanwhile, we had no overall increase in wholesale rates for the eighth year in a row. In fact, wholesale customers will get $53 million back this year in the form of a Production Cost Adjustment credit for the seventh consecutive year.
While the retail rate increase is necessary for us to continue delivering the reliable, resilient, sustainable energy our customers expect from us well into the future, it’s important to note NPPD’s retail rates remain extremely competitive both regionally and nationally. Our retail rates are approximately 45% below the average electric rates in the nation, 34% below the regional average, and 25% below the average electric rates for other utilities in Nebraska.
Still, we know even the smallest increase across the wide range of products and services you purchase can add up. That’s why we ensure financial assistance programs like our Pennies for Power program are available to those living in our 81 retail communities. It’s also why customers have access to more than 50 different assistance programs. These include Nebraska 211 – United Way of the Midlands, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Native American programs, and those available from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, as well as local county and community health services agencies.
In addition, we have many energy efficiency incentives that are updated on a yearly basis to ensure customers receive financial gains when conserving energy and purchasing energy efficient appliances, lawn and garden tools, electric vehicle chargers and more.
We’re also going to hold a Community Assistance Fair in the Norfolk area this year. If proven successful, this event will be extended to other communities.
Our teammates are people who live in these very same communities and have their own bills to pay. They know what inflation feels like, and they understand the impact the holidays and these cold, winter months can have on everyone.
We are committed to controlling costs as part of our organizational goals. We are truly passionate about doing it for the Nebraskans who are at the heart of why our organization exists. We are thrilled the state is experiencing a huge economic boom, both within our agricultural and manufacturing industries.
It is our job to responsibly work to provide affordable rates and high levels of reliability for you – the people who are innovating, building, and improving our state for all to enjoy. We intend to follow through with that job.
