History

North Central Public Power District (NCPPD), a public utility organized to provide the service area with advantages of an electric system owned by the people it serves, is a public corporation and political subdivision of the State of Nebraska. The District’s operation is vested in a Board of Directors consisting of seven members, popularly elected, and each representing a subdivision within the District service area or the District service area At-Large.

North Central Rural Public Power District (North Central RPPD) was incorporated on May 10, 1945. The petition for creation approved by the State of Nebraska, included parts of Knox, Antelope, Pierce and Holt counties. After securing a Rural Electrification Administration loan, the first pole on the “A” Section contract, awarded to Murphy Bros. Construction Co., was set in December of 1947. In July of 1948, 58 miles of line was energized to serve 89 customers. As additional loans were secured many more miles of line were energized to serve customers requesting electrical service. In 1949, North Central RPPD purchased the electrical systems in Niobrara and Santee to begin serving customers in each community. By 1955, North Central RPPD was serving 2250 customers on 1244 miles of line with a total of eleven employees. Also in 1955, North Central RPPD purchased the electrical system from a private individual to begin serving the village residents of Verdigre.

In 1959, the Board of Directors voted to shorten the name of the North Central RPPD to North Central PPD (NCPPD). In 1961, the operations of the District were moved into a new headquarters building, which is still the current building being used. The District again purchased another operating electrical system, this time from the Eden Valley Light Company and the Plainview Hi-View Highline Company, in 1967.

April of 2000 brought about the realignment of seven Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) retail communities to NCPPD: Bazile Mills, Brunswick, Center, Orchard, Page, Royal and Winnetoon. These are all now served with 20-year Professional Operations (PRO) Agreements since these communities retain ownership of their electric facilities.

In December of 2018, a 15-Year Professional Retail Operations (PRO) Agreement was signed with the City of Plainview. NCPPD took over serving the City of Plainview customer base of approximately 850 meters and leasing their electric systems. The City of Plainview customers have different rates than NCPPD’s other customers, as they get their power from a different power supplier, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN). With the City of Plainview customer base coming over to NCPPD’s customer base this will help spread costs over a larger customer base which will be beneficial to both NCPPD’s and Plainview’s customers.

Today, the District serves over 6,670 meters, through 126 miles of 69 kV and 34.5 kV transmission line and 1,635 miles of 7.2/13 kV distribution line, with 21 full-time employees and two part-time employees.