NPPD to participate in Hydrogen Utility Group

COLUMBUS - Looking ahead on how to generate more electricity, as well as revenue - while being environmentally friendly - Nebraska Public Power District's board of directors discussed several alternative fuel strategies.

Approval was given Friday for NPPD to participate in the Hydrogen Utility Group, which shares ideas on producing and using hydrogen.

“This is an opportunity,” said Bill Fehrman, NPPD president and CEO.

Researchers are saying hydrogen-based fuel could some day be inexpensive enough that commercial buildings or homes might have their own power supplies.

The most common methods currently used to produce hydrogen-powered fuel cells are expensive - separating it from steam, extracting it from methanol or biomass such as corn, or splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.

A catalyst from nickel, aluminum and tin could be hundreds of times less expensive, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But another important discovery would be finding catalysts that are more active or which work at lower temperatures.

Cooper Nuclear Station uses hydrogen as part of its Optimum Water Chemistry System to protect the reactor vessel and its internal structure from corrosion, according to NPPD Media Specialist Jeanne Schieffer. Cooper generates its own supply of hydrogen by using a process that extracts hydrogen from water. With this use, NPPD has developed an understanding of the technology, but it also wants to see what other avenues hydrogen may play in the future of the nation's economy and, specifically, in the future of the power industry, Schieffer said.

“One way in which to gain more experience and understanding of how this fuel source will impact the future is to participate in the research of alternative technologies that can reduce our energy dependency and potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Schieffer said.

The board also approved a resolution Friday for NPPD's participation in the Utility Plug-In Partners Program to support research for affordable production of high-mileage plug-in hybrid vehicles, which use batteries that are periodically recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet. This could lead to a reduction in oil imports, fuel costs and air emissions while enhancing the economy, Schieffer said.

Fehrman also reported on another environmentally-friendly program the utility is involved with - the Ainsworth wind facility.

During the Nov. 27-28 blizzard, two of the turbines recorded wind gusts of 114 miles per hour, while another turbine recorded 100 mph. Designed to withstand a 3-second wind gust of 130 miles per hour with a half-inch layer of ice, the turbines proved their durability, Fehrman said. The turbines additionally are designed to automatically shut down at 52 mph. “Overall, the system is running pretty well,” Fehrman said.

Also, during blizzard, line crews and system operators restored service within 48 hours to thousands of NPPD customers across central and northeast Nebraska. Approval was given during Friday's board meeting for the purchase of materials and services to repair the estimated $1.5 million in damages caused by the storm.