Dawson Public Power District serves 23,283 electric meters and maintains 5,720 miles of power lines in south central Nebraska, along the Platte River Valley. Dawson PPD was organized on February 26, 1937.
With nearly 80 employees, Dawson is one of the largest rural systems in the state of Nebraska. We are members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. Our general manager is Robert Heinz. The District is guided by an elected eleven-person board of directors, representing the people we serve.
Dawson's territory includes all of the rural areas in Dawson and Buffalo Counties, approximately two-thirds of Gosper County, a third of Lincoln County and parts of Custer, Sherman and Frontier Counties. The district also serves several villages: Hershey, Maxwell, Brady, Farnam, Eustis, Elwood, Eddyville, Smithfield, Overton, Sumner, Miller, Riverdale, Amherst, Odessa, and Pleasanton.
Dawson PPD purchases electricity from Nebraska Public Power District and distributes it to customers in our area. During the summer months, as our energy sales peak, we receive supplemental power from Western Area Power Association. This low cost WAPA power is produced by federally owned hydro-electric generators.
Nearly half of our revenue is generated by electricity sales to residential and farm customers. Another third of the revenue comes from irrigation services.
The District's headquarters is located in Lexington. Service Centers are located in North Platte, Gothenburg, Sumner, Ravenna and Kearney. A new headquarters facility is being built south of Lexington and should be completed in 2009.
In addition to providing power, Dawson PPD offers residential and agricultural surge suppression products.
