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Nebraska Public Power District
Dennis G. Hall, CEcD
Economic Development Mgr.
P.O. Box 499
Columbus, NE 68602
(800) 282-6773, ext 5534 (wk)
(402) 563-5090 (fax)
E-mail: dghall@nppd.com
Web: http://www.sites.nppd.com
Nebraska offers a menu of low-cost electricity, attractive locations, ample incentives, strong work ethic, and a quality of life second to none. The Nebraska Public Power District is "dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Nebraskans through our people and other public power assets." NPPD achieves this by partnering with state and local development corporations or chambers of commerce to help grow Nebraska's communities.
NPPD's Economic Development Team works with businesses wanting to expand or find the right site on which to build. One of the most rewarding parts of NPPD's role as the state's largest utility is introducing businesses to communities and supporting both with public power. Visit NPPD's Economic Development website sites.nppd.com for more information.
Nebraska's public power industry offers local control, low-cost, and high reliability in electric service. Nebraska returns industrial rates 37.7 percent below the national average and reinvests revenues into power plant and transmission assets for increased reliability. More than 5,000 miles of transmission lines make up NPPD's electrical grid system, which delivers power to approximately 1 million Nebraskans.
NPPD owns and operates a diverse mix of generation facilities throughout the state. This includes a nuclear plant, three steam plants, a combined-cycle facility, three hydropower plants, and the state's largest wind powered generation facility.
In addition, NPPD owns recreational facilities that provide hunting, fishing, boating and other quality of life experiences for residents and tourists.
Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), the state's largest utility in terms of gross revenue, kilowatt-hour sales, and geographic area, is chartered to serve all or parts of 91 of Nebraska's 93 counties. In 2006, the estimated total population of the counties within NPPD's chartered area was 1,133,691, with a labor force of 633,460.
The estimated 2006 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for all 91 counties totaled $33,197 million (chain weighted 2000$). Agriculture-based industries, manufacturing, and transportation are major economic drivers within NPPD's service area.
Two major railroads serve the state - the BNSF Railway Company and the Union Pacific. Union Pacific's Bailey Yard in North Platte is the largest rail freight car classification yard in the world and UP's headquarters are in Omaha, Neb., one of the nation's major rail centers. In fact, the most direct mid-continent route to the West Coast passes through Nebraska with branches that terminate in Portland, Spokane, Seattle, and Los Angeles. There are 12 freight railroads operating more than 3,475 miles of track throughout Nebraska, and a reciprocal switching agreement is in effect for all railroads. No major city in the United States is more than five days away by rail from Nebraska.
Nebraska's central location and transportation services offer distinct advantages over other states. The state's communities are connected by a highway system that includes 8,539 miles of interstate, freeway, and arterial roads. This system includes a 482-mile stretch of Interstate Highway 80, the most traveled east-west transcontinental route of the interstate highway system.
Nebraska's access to national markets is enhanced by north-south interstate highways including I-29, which passes along the state's eastern border in Iowa, and I-25, which passes in close proximity to the state's western border. More than 8,000 licensed motor carriers with worldwide connections are based in Nebraska and serve businesses throughout North America. One-day motor carrier service is available from most Nebraska cities to Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.
Commercial airline service is available in nine Nebraska cities, providing direct service to major hubs. Scheduled air freight service is provided to five additional communities with one-demand service available. A total of 83 public-use airports are located throughout the state.
The Missouri River, on Nebraska's eastern border, provides a water link to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers maintains a 9-foot deep, 300-foot wide channel for 735 navigable miles from Sioux City to the mouth of the Missouri River near St. Louis. The free-flowing river with no locks or dams is navigable approximately eight months of the year.
"As a low-cost electric provider for a majority of the state, NPPD is committed to the economic growth and vitality of Nebraska," said NPPD Economic Development Manager Dennis Hall. "We work in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to pursue opportunities that complement the agricultural foundation of our state while bringing businesses, jobs, and families to our communities."
"Reliability is important to every industry, whether steel, plastics, food processing or customer service," said Hall. "Food processing, warehousing and logistics, call centers, metal fabrication, ethanol producers, medical industries, not to mention new and renewable technology industries, have all found a home here. We are poised ready to assist businesses that inquire and/or are ready build or expand in Nebraska."
Located in the middle of the United States, Nebraska offers an array of advantages that make exploring, living, working and doing business here a wonderful and rewarding experience. Exceptional quality of life, clean air, excellent educational opportunities, vast recreation, and safe environment, as well as unmatched work ethic, business-friendly atmosphere, and lower-overall cost of living make Nebraska a dynamic location.
Regardless of the industry, businesses understand that electricity plays a critical role in operations, whether it is in lighting a 150,000 square foot warehouse or keeping a conveyor belt moving. NPPD understands this, too. As a not-for-profit utility, we generate power using a mix of fuel resources such as coal, nuclear, wind, gas, and hydro to keep electric rates as low as possible. In fact, Nebraska's industrial rates are 37.7 percent less than the U.S. average (based on 2007 average industrial rates for 1,000 kW of demand and 400 MWh of consumption).
Get to know more about the demographics of Nebraska's communities through Nebraska Economic Development Information (NEDI) Online, http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/CitySearch.asp. The database features pertinent economic development information and properties that meet business expansion requirements. A plethora of available sites and buildings is also available at sites.nppd.com. You'll quickly see why Nebraska is the state where business opportunities begin.
In addition to access to raw materials, technology, research, and the state's transportation corridor, businesses recognize that a major advantage for locating in Nebraska is the state's low-cost, reliable electric power. Electric rates for industrial service in Nebraska are 37.7 percent less than the U.S. average.
One of the reasons for Nebraska's low electric rates is the state's proximity to the vast low-sulfur coal fields of eastern Wyoming. NPPD and other public power utilities in the state draw upon an efficient and dependable "mix" of generating resources to supply current and projected needs. This mix includes major coal and nuclear powered generating facilities plus smaller hydro, gas, oil, diesel and wind generation resources. A statewide grid with regional interconnections further contributes to reliability of service and adequacy of supply.
Another reason for Nebraska's low electric rates is its unique status as the nation's only completely public power state. Public power means the primary goal of the electric utilities is to provide low cost power rather than increase shareholder profits. Public power also means Nebraska's utilities are financed, in part, through the issuance and sale of tax exempt revenue bonds. The issuance of tax exempt revenue bonds, which results in lower interest rates on borrowed money, benefits Nebraska's electric customers by keeping electric rates low.
Industries providing goods and services to manufacturers of renewable energy products - primarily bio-fuels and wind energy - will be major sources of growth within NPPD's service area. Nebraska's rapidly expanding ethanol industry offers a large market for firms producing fabricated metal products, transportation services, equipment cleaning and maintenance services, and professional services. Additionally, firms that utilize co-products from ethanol production to produce products such as plastics will benefit from a Nebraska location. Meanwhile, Nebraska's largest manufacturing sector, food processing, continues to provide significant opportunities for continued investment and expansion.
Continual growth of the Nebraska's economy will occur in sectors that support Nebraska's industry clusters which exist as a result of Nebraska's natural resources, easy access to major markets, and significant location advantages including , the state's business friendly environment, low cost power and quality workforce. Particularly noteworthy are businesses that support the emerging renewable energy production sectors in Nebraska, including the biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) and electric wind generation industries.
Nebraska's location in the center of the top ten states in terms of potential wind energy resources makes the state is an ideal location for producers of wind energy generation equipment. Manufacturers of wind turbines, turbine blades, and turbine towers are selecting Midwest locations to better serve the region's rapidly expanding wind energy markets.
Over the past two years, Nebraska has seen collectively more than $8 billion in new investments from such corporations as Siouxland Ethanol, E Energy Adams, Abengoa Bioenergy, Precise Fabrication, VeraSun Energy Corp., BPI, Inc. ADM, and Tyson.
For instance, in 2007, KATANA Summit LLC-a partnership of KATANA Industries Inc. and Sumitomo Corporation-selected Columbus, Neb., as the site for its new wind tower manufacturing facility. Currently under construction, the project will have 75 acres and over 250,000 square feet of building space. The company plans to employ 100 to 120 at full production in 2008.
Nebraska has welcomed several expansions by BD Medical Pharmaceutical Systems, a world-wide medical technology company that serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry, and the general public. In 2005, the community of Columbus, Neb. welcomed two expansions to its original facility. In the spring, BD added 75,000 square feet followed by another 245,000 square feet in the fall for a total cost of $83.5 million. The expansions included an additional state-of-the art equipment to manufacture a line of glass syringes and delivery services and sterilize products.
In the same year, BD expanded its Medical-Diabetes Care division in Holdrege, Neb. by purchasing a 38,950 square-foot facility for research and development. Collectively, the expansions added approximately 130 employees to Nebraska's workforce.
Other key investors with plants in multiple locations include Eaton Corporation, Emerson Electric, Farmland Industries, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Tenneco, and Valmont Industries. These prominent corporations join other solid investors such as Abengoa Bioenergy, Cargill, Union Pacific, Nucor and Cabelas.
Nebraska is an ideal location for businesses, individuals, and families seeking exciting career opportunities and a unique quality of life. Residents experience a cost of living below the national average in all major categories, including food, housing, transportation, and health care.
Nebraska offers abundant real estate with sites half the cost of those in more urbanized areas. Safe communities and minimal commute times between home and work allow residents to spend their free time enjoying the state's natural, recreational and lifestyle amenities, including some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country.
Distinctive Sandhills, abundant state parks, and lake shores, complement a growing number of recreational trails, several nationally renowned golf courses, and a good supply of wildlife-associated recreational opportunities. Currently, nearly half of the state's population participates in hunting, fishing, and/or wildlife watching.
The state's central geographic location, offers business advantages that include tax incentives, high labor productivity, effective job training programs, and a significantly lower cost of doing business due, in part, to low-cost electricity. Job growth is also strong in all sectors of the economy, especially transportation/logistics, bioscience, financial services, and manufacturing. Consider the following recognition: Business Facilities ranked Nebraska as one of the "States with the Best Quality of Life"; the Pollina Corporate 2007 ranked Nebraska as one of the "Top 10 Pro-Business States"; and Morgan Quitno Press said Nebraska is one of the "Top 10 Most Livable States".
Tourism in Nebraska ranks third in earning revenue for the state, after agriculture and manufacturing. Billions of dollars are spent by travelers each year, in part, because Nebraska's central location, rewarding recreation, and excellent balance of metro and rural attractions.
Attractions include the entertaining Cabela's in Sidney, Hastings Museum/Lied IMAX Theatre, Carhenge, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, and Ponca State Park. Educational experiences await visitors at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, Fort Robinson State Park, Harold Warp's Pioneer Village, Homestead National Monument, and the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer.
In addition, the state is home to numerous unique events including those seen in the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk, the FirsTier Event Center in Kearney, NEBRASKALand Days in North Platte, spring's Sandhill Crane Migration, and the summertime Kites and Castles Contest at Lake McConaughy.
Nebraska is truly a great place to live, work, and play.
The First Quarter, 2008, average cost of housing for the fourteen largest communities in NPPD's service area was 86.4 percent of the national average (Source: Index values computed from cost-of-living data obtained from Economic Research Institute (ERI), Relocation Assessor Database for the first quarter of 2008.)
The University of Nebraska System, with campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney, has the largest facilities among the state's 21 colleges and universities and offers advanced degrees in most professional fields. With a combined student enrollment of more than 45,000, it is a major center for both basic and applied research and boasts 22 Rhodes Scholars and 3 Nobel laureates among its alumni. The University of Nebraska is one of a select group of research universities that holds membership in the Association of American Universities and is one of the top 50 American universities in the number of doctoral degrees granted annually.
Another important facet of higher education in Nebraska is the statewide community college system that provides specialized training programs for new and expanding Nebraska industries. Nebraska's statewide community college system provides degree programs and specialized training, including courses that prepare students for certification examinations, at campuses in 13 cities to meet the needs of new and expanding businesses.
To support Nebraska's rapidly expanding ethanol industry, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded Northeast Community College a $2 million grant under the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants initiative. The funds are being used to implement a statewide initiative between Northeast Community College and its coalition of community colleges to establish a continuum of education and career development activities to meet the growing needs of the ethanol industry. In addition to the development of a new Associate Degree of Applied Science in Ethanol Production and Management, the funds are also being used to develop short-term training programs leading to certification in ethanol-related occupations.
These efforts and educational focus result in a reliable, educated, and well-trained labor pool, along with low unemployment and workers' compensation rates. In 2005, 86.6 percent of the state's population 25 years of age and older were high school graduates, compared to 80.4 percent nationally.
Sites.nppd.com
News announcements of other businesses can definitely give you a pulse on the growth occurring in Nebraska, but you can also gain insight into the advantages of starting, relocating, or expanding your business by visiting sites.nppd.com. A nationally recognized searchable database with available sites and buildings, economic and demographic information, the site also provides studies about a variety of targeted industries, such as metal fabrication, food processing, plastics, and the frozen foods industry.
Nebraska's Department of Economic Development's website provides extensive news release files regarding plant expansions, investments, groundbreakings, and business announcements. Access them at:
http://www.neded.org/component/option,com_news_portal/Itemid,345/
In late 2005, NPPD began commercial operation of the state's largest wind-powered facility near Ainsworth.
www.nppd.com/Newsroom/177
Additionally, news regarding new plants and expansions taking place in Nebraska is available from NPPD's quarterly newsletter, Industrial Overview, sent or emailed to industrial prospects and site location consultants to keep them informed of the new plants and expansions taking place in Nebraska. This publication can be viewed online at sites.nppd.com/library.asp
The Nebraska Advantage incentive package provides qualifying companies investing at least $10 million and creating 100 new jobs with a 10-year personal property tax exemption on machinery and equipment. In addition, it provides a sales tax refund, jobs credit, and investment credits for qualifying businesses.
The Nebraska Advantage was designed to create a business climate that makes Nebraska the preferred location for starting and growing businesses. There are various tiers under this act that provide incentives based upon thresholds in respect to employment and investment. These programs include refund of sales taxes paid; slide scale job credits and investment credits. A significant enhancement is that manufacturing machinery and equipment would be exempt from sales tax. The Package includes such incentives as:
Nebraska Small Business Advantage - Part of a larger program that sets out incentives for companies impacting communities through capital investments ranging from $1 million to $30 million, and job creation ranging from 10 to 100 new jobs.
LB312 & LB90 - Provides state and local sales tax exemptions for the purchase of manufacturing machinery, equipment and related services, addresses rural development, and emphasizes the contributions made by Nebraska's entrepreneurs, as well as agricultural and value-added industries, including alternative fuels such as ethanol.
Nebraska Research & Development Advantage - Allows qualifying research and development companies to claim a tax credit equal to 3 percent of increased expenses related to research & development.
Nebraska Micro-Enterprise Tax Credit Program - Allows a business with five or fewer employees that make up to $10,000 in new investment in an economically struggling community or area will quality for a 20 percent refundable investment tax credit.
Nebraska Rural Development Advantage - Provides qualified businesses with refundable tax incentive for projects creating two new jobs and investing $125,000 in counties with less than 15,000 residents.
Nebraska Agriculture Innovation Advantage - Reauthorizes a value-added grant program providing grants up to $75,000 to cooperatives, groups, or associations to help offset the costs of research, education, training and market development of value-added products sold by producers.
Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act - Provides grants up to $75,000 to rural communities to implement collaborative projects addressing issues related to chronic economic distress, unemployment, below-average per capita income, and severe population loss.
Nebraska Customized Job Training Advantage - Provides a flexible, discretionary custom job-training program to help ensure the state's workforce is prepared for advances in rapidly changing industries. Highlights of Nebraska's corporate tax structure include:
Financing for new or expanding businesses is also available from both the public and private sectors.
NPPD's Economic Development Consultants can assist you in understanding the benefits of these programs and guide you through the application process. In addition to these benefits, many communities have local economic development programs, which may be applicable to your project.
Links to getting the best Nebraska Advantage for your organization!
