2016 Boards and Commissions

Nebraska Power Review Board

General Information

Formal Name:Nebraska Power Review Board
Contact Person:Tim Texel, Executive Director and General Counsel,
Purpose:The Nebraska Power Review Board was created to help provide the citizens of Nebraska with adequate electric service at as low overall cost as possible. The Board is to accomplish this goal by regulating Nebraska's consumer-owned electric utility industry and providing a forum for resolution of disputes between electric utilities. In this regard, the Board operates much of the time in a quasi-judicial capacity. Specifically, the Board is to implement the State's policy to avoid and eliminate conflict and competition between Nebraska's consumer-owned electric power suppliers, to avoid and eliminate the duplication of facilities and resources and to facilitate the settlement of rate disputes between electric suppliers. The Board approves the creation of and amendments to retail and wholesale service areas, approves the Petitions for Creation of public power districts and amendments to the charters, and receives complaints regarding electric issues from both utilities and, in limited circumstances, members of the public.
How Many Affectable:The Power Review Board does not affect the lives of a discrete population of Nebraskans. It indirectly affects all Nebraskans that purchase and use electricity, which is virtually everyone.
How Many Served:The Power Review Board normally interacts more with Nebraska's 166 electric utilities and private developers than with the residents that use the electricity.
Year Created:1963
Year Active:1963
Sunset Date:None

Authorization

Authorization Citation:Nebraska Revised Statute section 70-1003
Parent Agency:None

Memberships and Meetings

Number Of Members:The Power Review Board has five members.
Who Appoints:The Governor appoints Power Review Board members.
Legislative Approval:Yes.
Qualifications Of Members:The Power Review Board is required to have one member who is an engineer, one who is an attorney, and one who is an accountant, in addition to two laypersons. No more than three members can be members of the Governor's political party. A member cannot have been a director, officer or employee of any electric utility or have been an elected state officer in the four years preceding his or her appointment.
Per Diem:Board members receive $60 per day when engaged in Board business. The member designated to represent Nebraska on the Southwest Power Pool's Regional State Committee receives $250 per day while performing his or her duties.
Expense Reimbursement:Yes
Term Length:Four years.
Terms Rotate or Expire At Once:Terms Rotate

Meetings Required In:

Required FY 13-14:The Power Review Board has no set required number of annual meetings.
Held FY 13-14:12
Required FY 14-15:The Power Review Board has no required number of annual meetings.
Held FY 14-15:11
Required FY 15-16:The Power Review Board has no required number of annual meetings.
Held FY 15-16:11

Operations

Support Staff:Yes. The Power Review Board has three employees.
Shared or Separate:Separate
FY 13-14 Budget:$602,594
FY 14-15 Budget:$577,640
FY 15-16 Budget:$628,337
Other Funding Sources:The Power Review Board is entirely cash funded. It receives its funds from assessments levied against Nebraska's electric utilities. The Board does not receive any general funds. The Legislature must appropriate the Board's funds.
Spending Authority:Yes. The Power Review Board has only one fund, one program and no subdivisions.

Accomplishments

Since July 1, 2012:In January 2013 the Power Review Board created a digital interactive map showing all the retail service area boundaries for every electric utility in the state of Nebraska. The map can be used by anyone with access to the internet. Where previously the Board's maps were only available by visiting the Board's offices or obtaining a physical copy of a map, now utilities and the public can use the online map to identify what electric utility has the right to serve any location in the entire state. In the time period from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2016, the Board conducted 15 hearings concerning new generation and transmission facilities, 5 hearings on formal complaints, approved 7 new generation facilities, 26 new transmission lines, and 3 microwave communication facilities. The Board also approved 18 retail service area agreement amendments and approved 15 amendments to public power district charters.