Senator Jared Storm introduced LR234, an interim study to examine how net-zero or carbon-reduction goals adopted by Nebraska public power entities could affect reliability, rates and local economies. CEOs and managers from Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), Lincoln Electric System (LES), and wholesale suppliers described current goals as aspirational and said planning must balance affordability and reliability.

Tom Kent, president and CEO of NPPD, said his board's net-zero target (2050) is an aspirational policy designed to manage business risk from potential future regulation and market changes rather than an immediate mandate. "Achieving net zero means that any greenhouse gas emitted is balanced by an equivalent amount being removed," Kent said, adding the board's goal is "conditioned upon no increase in cost or decrease in reliability."

Growth and reliability concerns: Omaha Public Power District's CEO Javier Fernandez told the committee that OPPD expects about 2,000 megawatts (2 gigawatts) of new demand over the next 10 years and outlined an infrastructure program including hundreds of miles of transmission work and multiple substations. Fernandez said OPPD has adopted a net-zero by 2050 goal but framed it as a board-level objective that must be balanced with affordability and reliability. "We are adding about 2 gigawatts'that's 2,000 megawatts of anticipated new demand over the next 10 years," Fernandez said.

LES and municipal perspective: Emeka Anyamu, CEO of Lincoln Electric System, reiterated that LES's 2040 net-zero-oriented resolution is a target, not an operational mandate. LES's planning process, Anyamu said, preserves local board control, built-in public input and a requirement to prioritize reliability and fiscal prudence.

Wholesale and local utilities: Bob Poehling of NMPP/MEAN described MEAN's aspirational 2050 carbon-neutral board vision and stressed that MEAN does not own generation assets; MEAN relies on contracts and markets and therefore prioritizes reliability for smaller communities. Curtis Kayton, general manager at Chimney Rock Public Power District, described regional price disparities tied to neighboring states' policies and urged careful attention to cross-border effects on rural ratepayers.

Nuclear and dispatchable generation: Several witnesses told the committee that, while wind, solar and storage are critical, dispatchable baseload generation (including nuclear and natural gas) remains necessary for reliability and to meet large new loads. Kent said NPPD is studying both license extensions for Cooper Nuclear Station and potential siting and technology options for future small modular reactors to preserve carbon-free baseload capacity.

Regulatory context and risk: Witnesses referenced federal and regional reliability assessments, and committee members raised concerns about both potential rate impacts and how utilities would respond if reliability declined. Kent and other CEOs said the utilities' net-zero goals include off-ramps tied to cost and reliability and are implemented through long-term integrated resource planning and board governance.

Ending note: LR234 was an informational hearing. Committee members indicated they will continue to collect information from utilities and regulators to assess how net-zero objectives interact with grid reliability, local jobs and consumer rates before any legislative proposals are drafted.