Nebraska

State Profile
1,920,076
24
Utility Revenue (Millions) $490.6
$302.1
$130.6
$51.2
$6.7
Consumption (Billion Cubic Feet or BCF)

Consumption by Sector In-State

 25,196
156.6
34.1
29
89.5
4
Customers 598,223
533,844
58,538
5,841
Industry Infrastructure
n/a
32,033
Utility Gas Efficiency Program Funding
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

Sources

AGA Survey and Statistics System; AGA-CEE Natural Gas Efficiency Programs Survey: Utility expenditures for gas efficiency programs exclude data that have not been released by participating companies at the state level; U.S. Energy Information Administration; and U.S. Department of Transportation.

Statewide Elected Officials Next Election: 2022
Pete Ricketts (Rep.)Governor
Mike Foley (Rep.) Lieutenant Governor
Doug Peterson (Rep.)Attorney General
Legislature Next Election: 2018Session Dates: 01/06/16-04/22/16
Unicameral Legislature
Term: 4 year
Speaker of the Legislature: Jim Scheer
Unicameral Legislature Member Breakdown
Total: 49 (nonpartisan)
Nebraska Public Service Commission Commissioners: Elected in statewide elections: 6 year termChairperson: Elected by fellow Commissioners: 1 year term
Current Commissioners:
Frank E. Landis, Jr. (R), CommissionerElected in 1988; current term ends in 2019
Rod Johnson (R), Vice Chairman Elected in 1993; current term ends in 2017
Gerald Vap (R), Commissioner Appointed by Governor Mike Johanns in 2001; elected in 2004; current term ends in 2017
Tim Schram (R), Chairman Elected in 2007; current term ends in 2019
Crystal Rhoades (D), Commissioner Elected in 2014; current term ends in 2020

Nebraska’s plan was authored in 2011 with the objective of ensuring access to affordable and reliable energy for Nebraskans to use responsibly. It includes the following key strategies: Increased opportunities for DSM and energy efficiencies; Increase opportunities for industrial and municipal waste-to-energy projects; Support distributed generation and renewable technologies; Increase development and use of alternative fuels including CNG. In January of 2015, Sen. Ken Schilz introduced LB-583. This bill would require the Nebraska Energy Office to prepare a comprehensive energy plan for Nebraska by the end of 2015. The plan would be updated every two years.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission approved an Extra Construction Allowance for SourceGas in Docket No. NG-0067, which was later expanded in 2011. The current Extra Construction Allowance works by advancing to participants up to $5,000 of costs over the amount and is provided to eligible customers by spreading the repayment obligation associated with that advance for up to 15 years through a $50 per month payment added to their natural gas bill. SourceGas is also able to offer on bill financing of gas appliances. In 2012, the Nebraska legislature passed legislation to provide for a streamlined process to implement a plan to construct rural natural gas infrastructure in order to provide natural gas to unserved or underserved areas in the state. The law streamlines the regulatory review process and allows utilities to spread costs to all ratepayers. The law also requires stakeholders (utilities, municipalities, local businesses, investors) to put together a plan for infrastructure expansion to be approved by the Nebraska PSC.

In 2009, Nebraska established an Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharge (ISRS) as part of revisions to Nebraska Statutes 66-1865, 66-1866 and 66-1867. The ISRS allows the rates of a gas utility to be adjusted twice per year to provide for the recovery of costs of eligible infrastructure replacements. Companies that utilize the ISRS must file a rate case at least every 5 years. SourceGas and Black Hills currently utilize these riders.

Black Hills Energy owns and operates a public CNG station in Lincoln, NE. WEC Energy Corp. subsidiaryTrillium CNG owns and operates a station in Omaha.

Black Hills Gas operates under a rate design consisting of declining rate blocks. SourceGas operates under a rate design which consists of modified rate blocks.