Welcome to SWPPD
Located in Palisade serving five counties in Southwest Nebraska including: Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Red Willow. Servicing 2,594 miles of line, 6,504 meters, and over 113,000 Horsepower of irrigation load.
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Our main concern is servicing you to the best of our ability and being part of this great community. Here we will keep you informed about current news and things happening at SWPPD including widespread outage situations.
Southwest Public Power District has an opening for the position of Engineering Technician. Duties include, but are not limited to, assisting in the maintenance of the District’s geographic information system (GIS), system planning and improvements, and implementing technology as required to improve the distribution systems. The District operating hours are a compressed work schedule with every other Friday off. This position requires passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Southwest Public Power District offers an excellent wage and benefit package, including paid vacation, sick leave, paid health insurance, and funded retirement plan. Southwest Public Power District’s headquarters office is in Palisade, Nebraska. The region’s schools, small communities, and recreational opportunities make it a great place to live and raise a family. Interested individuals must email a resume, including job training and three references to: jobs@swppd.com . Southwest Public Power District is an equal opportunity employer. Position will be open until filled.
Southwest Public Power District has an opening for the position of Journeyman power line worker. Duties include, but are not limited to, maintenance and construction of overhead and underground distribution and sub-transmission facilities. The District operating hours are a compressed work schedule with every other Friday off. After-hours and on-call duty are required. This position requires heavy lifting, pole climbing, and other strenuous activity and working well with other crew members. Must be able to complete associated written and electronic documentation. Must possess a valid Class B CDL and pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Southwest Public Power District offers an excellent wage and benefit package, including paid vacation, sick leave, paid health insurance, and funded retirement plan. Southwest Public Power District’s headquarters office is in Palisade, Nebraska. The region’s schools, small communities, and recreational opportunities make it a great place to live and raise a family. Interested individuals must email a resume, including job training and three references to: jobs@swppd.com . Southwest Public Power District is an equal opportunity employer. Applications due by June 30th, 2026.
Southwest Public Power District Rate Increase
Effective January 1, 2025, Southwest Public Power District will implement an overall 2.4% rate increase to the customers of the District. During the Southwest Public Power District board meeting held on November 20th, 2024, management with help from a third-party rate consultant, presented to the Board of Directors a current Cost of Service study. The Board of Directors reviewed the study and approved the new retail rates as recommended by management. Over the past 12 years, SWPPD customers have received safe and reliable electricity without experiencing an overall annual customer rate increase in energy usage. In fact, since 2019, a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) credit has been passed through from our energy provider making kilowatt hour (kWh) rates even cheaper than they were twelve years ago. Aside from a customer charge increase on single phase service in 2022, this will be the first increase in kWh usage since 2013. Over this same period of time, inflation has risen by 33% with the majority of these increases coming in the past 4 years. Since 2022, we have seen an increase of between 30% to more than 100% in the costs of material items such as wire and transformers. We are also forced to keep more material on hand since it is taking longer to acquire those materials. These increases are the driving force that continues to pressure the District to maintain our financial integrity while at the same time, supporting the necessary maintenance and upgrades of the electric plant. Some projects have even been delayed in an effort to reduce costs, but that is proving to be only a short-term fix. A recent study from Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply Inc (CEEUS) shows that over the last 4 years, transformers are 99% more expensive today. Conductor has increased 62% while crossarms and poles cost over 103% more today. . Southwest Public Power District has been able to cope with rising inflation and expenses while still maintaining rates well below the national average. This has been accomplished by an extremely good working relationship between the employees of SWPPD and the Board of Directors keeping well informed and making sound educated business decisions in an effort to maintain the primary purpose for the establishment of SWPPD: to bring safe-dependable-affordable power to our customers. Although no one likes to see the cost of their utilities increase, it is crucial for SWPPD to continue to meet our financial goals and provide you with safe and reliable electricity. The new rates can be viewed on our website at www.swppd.com/rates-payment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (308)285-3295.
Southwest Public Power District is proud to announce the Frank & Betty Potthoff Memorial Scholarship Program! Frank and Betty Potthoff were both formerly employed by SWPPD, and the Potthoff family has generously offered to fund this scholarship as a memorial to them. This $500 per semester scholarship will help a student attend the Utility Line Program at either Northeast Community College or Western Nebraska Community College. To qualify for the scholarship students must be a high school senior or graduate and reside in the border territory generally served by SWPPD and all towns therein. The applicant must have already applied to be admitted to the Utility Line Program at either college and have been accepted or placed on a waiting list. To apply for the scholarship, the student must submit a personal essay to SWPPD not more than 350 words in length explaining why they are interested in the Utility Line Program as their course of study. They must also provide their class rank and GPA. If the applicant has graduated high school and is attending college, they must submit college transcripts with their essay. Applicant essays will be forwarded to a selection committee. SWPPD would like to award the first scholarship for the Fall semester of 2026. Applicants must have their essays submitted by May 31, 2026 in order to be eligible. Please contact Frank Bonini at (308)285-3295, or frankb@swppd.com, with questions.
As the country continues to recover from the many recent global and national events, the supply chain issues are going to remain a challenge for at least the next 12 to 24 months. The inventory SWPPD requires to build and maintain new and existing services has been strained. Today, the current order lead time for transformers used in our industry are estimated to be approximately 52 weeks out. Unfortunately, transformers are not the only inventory item of concern. Everything from the raw materials used in our conductor wire to the poles, cross-arms and bolts used in construction have been impacted. The trade associations and organizations we belong to have been proactive in working with the federal government and with manufacturers to make sure we have what we need to serve our customers. SWPPD has adapted by ordering supplies further in advance and in larger quantities when the manufacturer allows. We also continue to recycle and reuse materials where possible. Materials ordered by SWPPD are also subject to change based on several unexpected events such as national and local storm restoration needs, transportation costs and availability, raw material interruptions and many other possible unexpected scenarios. These circumstances have been substantial enough that we can no longer guarantee that new services will be completed prior to the summer of 2023. More specifically, no new irrigation service requests that are not already in our que will be built before the summer of 2023. Therefore, any new service requests for the rest of the year will be put on a waiting list on a “first come, first serve” basis. The Board and Management at SWPPD felt strongly that it was better to communicate this delay to our customers as far in advance as possible to make the necessary adjustments in your plans if you are considering a new service in 2023. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please reach out to SWPPD if you have any questions.
EnergyWise℠ Tips
Saving energy is something we all strive to do. Here we have a complete blog dedicated to energywise tips regarding the electric industry.
By: NPPD's Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer If you have traveled from Nebraska’s panhandle towards the southeast in the middle of summer, you likely know it can be a long and hot road trip. However, the further south and east you travel, you will probably notice that it is not only the temperature that is rising: humidity. High humidity can make those summer days feel even sweltering. While air-conditioning systems are tasked with removing most of this excess indoor humidity, many homes and businesses in the eastern half of the state also require stand-alone dehumidifiers to achieve acceptable levels. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend a humidity levels between 40 and 50% for most indoor environments. In addition to eliminating the muggy, clammy feeling, additional dehumidification can: Improve air quality Lessen allergy and asthma symptoms Inhibit mold growth Diminish musty odors Reduce airborne dust Suppress dust mites Protect a home or building’s structural integrity However, operating dehumidifiers can have a dramatic impact on summer utility bills. Even a medium-sized portable unit (50 pints per day) can add an additional $100 per month if the unit is set to operate continuously on its highest setting. If your home or business requires a separate dehumidifier to manage humidity level, here are some ideas of how to do it most efficiently. When shopping for a dehumidifier, purchase an ENERGY STAR®-certified model. Dehumidifiers that earn this certification use more efficient refrigeration coils, compressors and fans to remove the same amount of moisture as a similarly sized conventional unit but use about 15% less energy. Dehumidifier efficiency is measured with an Integrated Energy Factor (IEF), which is in the amount of electricity (kilowatt hours (kWh)) the unit consumes for each liter (L) of moisture removed from the air. To be eligible for certification, minimum IEF values are: Units rated up to 25 pints/day – IEF of =.70 L/kWh or greater. Units rated at 25.01 to 50 pints/day – IEF = 2.01 L/kWh or greater. Units at over 50 pints/day – IEF = 3.30 L/kWh or greater. Set the humidistat so the dehumidifier does not run continuously. For basements in the summertime, 50% relative humidity is recommended. In colder weather, relative humidity levels between 25 and 40% are advised to reduce condensation on windows. Tightly close all windows and doors to the area being conditioned to minimize humidity coming from outside air. Place the dehumidifier in the area with the highest humidity but avoid creating a safety hazard by placing it in or near water. Dehumidifiers are not the solution to standing water (or running water) in basements. Make sure the dehumidifier is connected to a properly grounded outlet. Position the dehumidifier away from the wall or furniture so air can freely circulate through the unit. Hook up a drain hose to the dehumidifier to eliminate the need to continuously empty the tank. Keep the dehumidifier clean. Wipe or vacuum dust and dirt from the coils and fan. If you have a choice of fan speeds, higher speeds are more efficient, though lower speeds are quieter. Reduce energy use during peak electric use periods. Put your dehumidifier on a timer to turn it on at 9 p.m. and off at 10 a.m. In partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, your local utility wants to help you stay cool, comfortable and healthy this summer. Contact them or visit www.enerywisenebraska.com if you would like more information on ways to improve your energy efficiency, as well as various EnergyWiseSM incentives that may be available to you for implementing energy efficient technologies.
We Value Your Opinion
Southwest Public Power District is committed to providing the best possible customer service. We value input from our customers and invite you to use the Contact Us form to share your comments, concerns, questions and suggestions. Compliments are accepted as well! Rest assured that all correspondence will be reviewed and handled with professional confidence and courtesy.
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Board of Directors
In March of 1945, the Southwest Electric Membership Corporation was born and electric light took its first steps to become an active part of life in southwest Nebraska. At the time nine men were elected to the board of directors. Many things in the electrical industry have changed over the years but one thing remains the same, continued leadership and dedication to the electrical needs of southwest Nebraska.
Meet The Board
A tour of Southwest Nebraska….our home.
We live in a very special place with proud and hard working communities. This video is a small peak into the places we call home in the southwest corner of Nebraska. Southwest Public Power District is proud to be a part of these communities. If you are not able to see our video here visit YouTube.
Stay Informed
Manager's Articles
General Manager Colyn Suda will keep you updated with monthly articles from SWPPD about industry news, safety tips, and ways to save you money. Also, this is your direct link to the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. Here you will find information about industry and political events and you can also sign-up for notifications.
Summer heat can be tough on people. It can also be tough on batteries. Many of the devices we use every day contain lithium-ion batteries. That includes phones, laptops, tablets, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters. These batteries work best when they stay within a moderate temperature range. Excessive heat can shorten battery life and, in rare cases, create safety risks. One of the worst places for a battery-powered device is a parked car. On a sunny day, temperatures inside a vehicle can climb quickly. Leaving a phone or laptop in a hot car can damage the battery and reduce its ability to hold a charge. Watch for warning signs. If a battery becomes unusually hot, starts swelling, leaks fluid or gives off a burning smell, stop using the device immediately. Damaged lithium-ion batteries can become dangerous. A few simple steps can help: • Keep devices out of direct sunlight. • Do not leave them in hot vehicles. • Use the charger recommended by the manufacturer. • If a battery-powered device becomes very hot while charging, unplug it and let it cool. A little heat awareness can help your devices last longer and operate more safely.
During the summer, attic temperatures can climb far above outdoor levels, allowing heat to radiate down into living spaces. This hidden source of heat can make your air conditioning system work harder than necessary. Start by checking attic ventilation. Soffit and ridge vents should be clear and unobstructed to allow hot air to escape. Blocked vents can trap heat and increase indoor temperatures. Gaps around attic access points, such as pull-down stairs or hatches, can also allow hot air to enter the home. Sealing these areas with weatherstripping or insulation can help reduce heat transfer. In some cases, attic fans may improve airflow, but they should be used carefully to avoid disrupting the balance of the home’s ventilation system. Still, addressing attic heat does not require a full renovation. Even small improvements in insulation can make a difference by slowing the movement of heat into living areas.
Older homes can be especially difficult to keep cool during peak summer heat, but expensive window replacements are not the only solution. Small, targeted changes can make a noticeable difference. Start by sealing air leaks. Caulking and weatherstripping around outlets and windows—both indoors and out—can help keep hot air out and cooled air in. At night, take advantage of lower outdoor temperatures by opening windows and using fans to pull in cooler air. In the morning, close windows and blinds early to trap that cooler air inside. Temporary window improvements can also help. Interior inserts, cellular shades and reflective panels reduce heat gain without permanent installation. Focus on south- and west-facing windows, which receive the most direct sunlight. It may also help to run your air conditioning earlier in the day, before outdoor temperatures peak. This can reduce strain on the system later. While older homes present energy-efficiency challenges, a combination of sealing and shading, along with smart timing, can improve comfort without major renovations.
