Nebraska utility’s health study on coal plant sparks controversy as community questions narrow scope and delayed closure

A health assessment commissioned by Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) claiming its North Omaha coal plant poses no “significant” health threat has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts, community members, and even utility board members who say the study’s scope was too narrow to support such broad conclusions.

The Electric Power Research Institute study, which cost over $431,000, focused solely on air toxics—one specific type of air pollution—while ignoring other harmful emissions like fine particulate matter, criteria air pollutants, wastewater discharge, and coal ash contamination. Six independent public health experts who reviewed the report told the Flatwater Free Press and Grist that OPPD’s interpretation of the findings was misleading. “The science is clear: Burning coal is not good for human health, and it’s really that simple,” said OPPD board member Craig Moody, calling the study “a big miss.”

The controversy comes as OPPD has repeatedly delayed closing the coal plant, originally scheduled for retirement in 2023, then 2026, and now potentially extending operations for at least two more years. North Omaha residents—68% of whom are people of color—already face elevated rates of asthma, heart disease, and stroke while living in a historically redlined area near highways, an airport, and a lead Superfund site. Critics have questioned OPPD’s use of EPRI, whose board includes utility executives and receives funding from energy companies, suggesting potential conflicts of interest in conducting objective health assessments for utilities seeking to延迟 coal plant closures.