Omaha, Nebraska
Home Battery Backup in Omaha
OPPD's record July 2024 storm left half its customers in the dark, some for nearly eight days. A battery keeps chosen circuits on, and a new summer peak rate is on the way.
221,000+ customers out in July 2024 · Rate 110: 11.9¢ summer · TOU pilot peak 3–7 p.m. · exports credited at 4¢.
The short answer
Omaha is served by OPPD, a public power district. Its July 31, 2024 storm knocked out power to more than 221,000 customers, about half its base, and some waited nearly eight days. That makes outage backup the main reason Omaha homeowners look at a battery.
OPPD's standard rate is a flat 11.937¢ per kWh in summer, but exported solar beyond your own use earns only 4¢. A time-of-use pilot approved in October 2026 adds a 3–7 p.m. summer weekday peak from June 2027.
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Tell us your Omaha address, whether you have solar and what must stay on in an outage. We confirm coverage before anyone sizes a battery.
OPPD outages and rates in Omaha
From OPPD's rate manual, its October 2026 board resolution and the American Public Power Association.
A record storm in July 2024
OPPD's July 31, 2024 storm left more than 221,000 customers — about half its customer base — without power, some for nearly eight days. The previous record was 188,000 on July 9, 2021.
11.9¢ summer, 9.5¢ the rest of the year
OPPD's standard residential Rate 110 charges a $30 monthly service charge plus 11.937¢ per kWh from June through September and 9.503¢ in other months, before the fuel and purchased power adjustment.
A time-of-use pilot is coming
OPPD's board approved a residential time-of-use pilot, Rate 120, in October 2026. Its peak is 3–7 p.m. on summer weekdays at a preliminary 32.22¢ per kWh, with bills starting in the June 2027 cycle.
Where a battery fits in Omaha
Storm backup, low export credits, OPPD's storage rules and the coming summer peak.
Outage backup comes first in Omaha
Summer storms are what take Omaha's power out for days. A battery with a critical load panel keeps refrigeration, a sump pump, internet and medical devices running while crews work.
Exports earn far less than retail
Under OPPD's net metering rider, energy you export beyond what you use in a billing period is credited at 4.00¢ per kWh in summer and 3.52¢ otherwise, against 11.937¢ retail. Storing solar for your own evening use is usually worth more.
Storage rules on net metering
OPPD's net metering rider does not count a battery that stores grid power and exports it as a qualifying facility. Your installer has to set the battery up within OPPD's interconnection rules.
Ready for the 3–7 p.m. peak
If you join the TOU pilot, a battery charged off-peak can carry the house through the four-hour summer peak, when the preliminary price is four times the off-peak price.
Omaha next to Lansing and Oklahoma City
Lansing is also served by a publicly owned utility, the Board of Water & Light, which already prices a 1–8 p.m. weekday peak. OPPD is only now piloting time-of-use pricing.
Oklahoma City's OG&E SmartHours rate has a similar summer afternoon peak, 2–7 p.m. on weekdays, under an investor-owned utility.
Checking your water too? See Des Moines water quality, our nearest water page.
Where these figures come from
Rates and rules trace to OPPD's own documents; the outage record to the American Public Power Association.
- OPPD — Residential rates and rate manual — Rate Schedule 110 and Rider 483 net metering.
- OPPD Community Connect — Time-of-use rate pilot — Rate 120 eligibility, peak hours and timing (Board Resolution 6782).
- American Public Power Association — OPPD details unprecedented outage response — the July 31, 2024 storm.
- OPPD — Net Metering Annual Report — facilities and capacity as of December 31, 2025.
What a home battery job with us covers
Installation of storage and the backup circuits behind it, with the siting and utility paperwork handled.
Battery installation
Wall or floor-mounted storage installed to the listing and to the residential code sections that govern where it may go.
Backup and critical load panel
Deciding and wiring which circuits stay live, and which must never be on backup — the choice that defines what an outage feels like.
Integration with existing PV solar
Connecting storage to an array that is already on the roof, including whether the existing inverter supports it.
Transfer switch and disconnection
The equipment that separates the house from the grid during an outage, which is what makes backup legal as well as possible.
Siting to code
Location, clearances, separation and impact protection assessed against the adopted code before anything is mounted.
Permit, inspection and utility approval
The electrical permit, the inspection, and the utility's own approval step where storage touches the service.
This is installation work. No runtime, capacity or incentive figure is quoted before your loads and your utility are confirmed. Coverage is confirmed per service area rather than promised as blanket availability.
What the work actually looks like
A battery job is an electrical job. The panel, the circuits and the disconnection are most of it.
Battery backup in Omaha, answered plainly
Who is the electric utility in Omaha?+
Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), a publicly owned utility. Its rates are set by its elected board rather than a state commission.
How bad have Omaha power outages been?+
The July 31, 2024 storm was the largest in OPPD's history: more than 221,000 customers, about half the customer base, lost power and some waited nearly eight days. The previous record, 188,000 customers, was set on July 9, 2021.
What does OPPD charge for electricity?+
On residential Rate 110, a $30 monthly service charge plus 11.937¢ per kWh from June 1 through September 30 and 9.503¢ per kWh the rest of the year, plus OPPD's fuel and purchased power adjustment.
What is OPPD's time-of-use pilot?+
Rate 120 is an opt-in pilot for Rate 110 customers who had an AMI smart meter installed by June 1, 2026. On-peak is 3–7 p.m. on weekdays from June through September, excluding weekends and federal holidays. Preliminary prices are 32.22¢ on-peak and 8.055¢ off-peak, to be finalized with OPPD's 2027 operating plan; non-summer months stay on Rate 110 prices. Bill impacts begin with the June 2027 billing cycle.
How does OPPD net metering work?+
Under Rider 483, usage and exports are netted each billing period. Net excess generation is credited at 4.00¢ per kWh in summer and 3.52¢ in non-summer months; credits carry forward and are paid out at year end. Systems up to 100 kW qualify. At the end of 2025 OPPD had 1,875 net metering facilities.
How long will a battery run my house?+
It depends on capacity and which circuits you put on it, so we don't quote a runtime before seeing the panel.
Who installs it, and who is responsible afterwards?+
Seamless Home is the licensed contractor of record on the work it runs. Installation is performed by vetted installing partners engaged as our subcontractors, so the permit, the inspection and any correction notice carry one name. Coverage is confirmed per service area rather than promised as blanket availability.
Related resources
Home battery backup
The national service page behind this one.
Learn more →Home battery backup in Lansing, MI
Board of Water & Light, a public utility with a 1–8 p.m. peak.
Learn more →Home battery backup in Oklahoma City, OK
OG&E SmartHours and its 2–7 p.m. summer peak.
Learn more →Critical load panel planner
Pick the circuits a battery should carry.
Learn more →What is a critical load panel?
How backup circuits are chosen.
Learn more →All home services
Water, battery, HVAC and solar under one licensed contractor of record.
Learn more →Get a free battery estimate
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