Irrigation Load Control

FOR YOUR SAFETY CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG! Control hours have came to an end once again. Thank you for participating in the program.

This page is updated daily during the irrigation load control season (June - September). You can also call our Irrigation Load Control Hotline at (402) 362-4786 or tune into KRVN 880 Rural Radio for load control status. Above is the irrigation load control status for today.

 

 

What is load control -   Perennial Public Power District, like most rural power districts in Nebraska, realizes a tremendous peak in energy use during the months of June through September.  A major portion of this peak is due to crop irrigation, since wells are only used for a short period and then sit idle during the winter months.  In order to keep peaks as low as possible, the District installs radio controlled switches directly on customers' irrigation wells.  At the headquarters, a system operator monitors system load and has the ability to shut wells off until a desired load level is achieved.  As the system peak rises, more wells are shut off.  This "load shedding" process takes place between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 P.M. daily.  Load shedding does not take place on holidays, however Sunday was added as a control day in 2008.   The control times are determined on a daily basis by the District's power supplier NPPD. 

Load Control Hot-line - If you want to know if the District is planning to control load, you can call the load control hot-line at (402) 362-4786.  You will hear a prerecorded message announcing when load control will begin and end that day.  We will also announce if no control is planned for the day. 

Load Control Switch - To the left is a close-up of a typical load control switch.  If you see a RED light in the little window on the left side of the box, your well is under control and will not start.  If you have a red light and you don't think your well should be under control, first check the message at the top of this page to see if we are controlling load.  If we are not controlling load, call the the District trouble number at (402) 362-3357 or 1-800-289-0288 and report it. When calling, be sure to give the name that appears on your bill, the legal description and if possible your well number. It is also helpful to leave a telephone number where you can be reached.