Southern Public Power District, Courtesy
GRAND ISLAND –Southern Public Power District (SPPD) customers will see a 2.5% rate increase to their cost of energy along with a 50% reduction in the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) effective January 1, 2026. SPPD board of directors met for their regular monthly board meeting on November 12, 2025, to review and approve the 2026 budget and retail electric rates.
This is the first rate increase for SPPD residential customers since 2012. In addition, SPPD has given back over $16M to customers through the PCA since 2019. SPPD residential customers using about 1,450 kwh/month or a $150 energy bill will see a $5.70 per month increase (pre-taxes).
Even with this rate increase, the average residential will still be paying less in 2026 than they did in 2013 due to two rate decreases since that time. “Raising rates is something the board takes very seriously, and we have not done this for several years. There is not a lot that we can do when power supply costs go up,” said Board Chairman, Wayne Anderbery.
The decision to both increase rates and decrease the PCA comes amid increased wholesale power costs from Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD). SPPD is a wholesale customer of NPPD. Nearly 70 cents of every dollar collected from SPPD customers goes back to NPPD to pay the wholesale power costs. SPPD conducts careful planning and financial forecasting to ensure current rates support the maintenance and strategic investment needed to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy, while minimizing impacts on customers.
“We constantly look for innovative ways to keep power costs affordable for all our customers. This requires balancing affordable rates while maintaining a reliable system and the ability to respond to growth and any storms we encounter,” said Chad Waldow, SPPD CEO.
