2020 Boards and Commissions

Back to List of Surveys

Print Friendly View

Back to List of Surveys Print Friendly View

Nebraska Power Review Board

General Information
  • Formal Name:
    Nebraska Power Review Board
  • Contact Person:
    Tim Texel, Executive Director & General Counsel, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lower Level, Lincoln, NE 68509. Phone 402-471-2301.
  • Purpose:
    The Nebraska Power Review Board was created to help provide the residents of Nebraska with adequate and reliable 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, and in very limited situations, between customers and utilities. One of the Board's primary objectives 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, approves generation facilities built by Nebraska's public power utilities, certifies privately developed renewable energy generation facilities, and receives complaints regarding electric issues from both utilities and, in very limited circumstances, electric utility customers. The Board operates in administrative, regulatory and quasi-judicial capacities.
  • 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 includes the vast majority of residents and businesses in the State.
  • How Many Served:
    The Power Review Board interacts primarily with Nebraska's 161 consumer-owned electric utilities, as well as private electric facility developers. The Board occasionally interacts with private citizens regarding utility issues.
  • Year Created:
    1963
  • Year Active:
    1963
  • Sunset Date:
    None
Authorization
  • Authorization Citation:
    Neb. Rev. Stat. section 70-1003
  • Parent Agency:
    None
Memberships and Meetings
  • Number Of Members:
    The Power Review Board has five members.
  • Who Appoints:
    The Governor appoints the 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, one who is an accountant, and 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 in performance of his or her duties.
  • Expense Reimbursement:
    Yes
  • Term Length:
    Power Review Board members serve four year terms, with a limit of one reappointment.
  • Terms Rotate or Expire At Once:
    Terms Rotate
Meetings Required In:
  • Required FY 17-18:
    The Power Review Board has no set required number of meetings per year.
  • Held FY 17-18:
    11
  • Required FY 18-19:
    The Power Review Board has no set required number of meetings per year.
  • Held FY 18-19:
    8
  • Required FY 19-20:
    The Power Review Board has no set required number of meetings per year.
  • Held FY 19-20:
    10
Operations
  • Support Staff:
    The Power Review Board has three full-time employees.
  • Shared or Separate:
    Separate
  • FY 17-18 Budget:
    $662,235
  • FY 18-19 Budget:
    $667,982
  • FY 19-20 Budget:
    $686,255
  • Other Funding Sources:
    The Power Review Board is entirely cash funded. It receives its funds from assessments levied against Nebraska's consumer-owned electric utilities. The Board does not receive any general funds.
  • Spending Authority:
    The Power Review Board has only one fund, one program, and no subdivisions.
Accomplishments
  • Since July 1, 2016:
    In the time period from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2020, the Board approved 24 new transmission and distribution lines that were over 12 mile in length outside a power supplier's service area, registered 64 transmission and distribution lines that were less than 12 mile in length outside a power supplier's service area, dealt with 6 formal complaints, approved 16 retail service area agreement amendments, and approved 16 amendments to public power district charters. In 2016 the Legislature enacted a law allowing private developers to submit a set of certifications that, if properly done, exempt privately developed renewable energy generation facilities from the Power Review Board's traditional approval process that includes notices and a hearing for generation facilities (See 70-1014.02). As of June 30, 2020, the Board processed 32 such certification notices. In 2018 the Board, with Nebraska Interactive's assistance, completely renovated and updated the agency's website, making it more user-friendly and making archived meeting minutes available to the public.