The Omaha Public Power District is considering an increase in electrical rates. If approved, the average residential customer's bill will jump about four percent in January.

At a public meeting on Tuesday to explain the proposed changes OPPD officials said a three percent rate hike will pay for building and maintaining power plants.

OPPD's Gary Williams says, "It would be far more expensive for us to go out and buy the electricity that our customers need on the open market than it would be for us to build our own generating assets and own and operate those assets."

Last year, the utility spent $400 million to keep the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant running for another 20 years. They are also building a coal fired plant near Nebraska City. It sits right next an existing power station and is scheduled to come online in 2009.

OPPD officials say these projects are necessary to keep up with a steady increase in demand but a customer at the meeting on Tuesday said he wanted more emphasis on conservation.

Jeff Pokorny said, "There's no effort put into turning lights off; turning TVs off; they run the computer all day. It's just amazing. And there's no ethic being passed onto grandchildren."

A one percent rate increase would go to promote energy efficiency and alternative energy sources.

The OPPD board of directors will vote on the rate increase November 8th. If approved, it will take effect on January 1.