COOPER

Operating

Nuclear power plant

Capacity: 801 MW
Primary fuel: Nuclear
County: Nemaha County
Operator: NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT
Status: Operating
Commissioned: 1974
EIA plant ID: 8036
Generators: 1
Technology: Nuclear
Net generation (2024): 6,096 GWh
Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate): 87%
Data vintage: EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
Coordinates: 40.3621, -95.6413

COOPER, an 801 MW Nuclear power plant in Nemaha County, Nebraska. Operated by NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, commissioned 1974.

How COOPER compares

With 801 MW of capacity, COOPER ranks 3rd among the 86 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Nebraska. It accounts for about 9.6% of all operating capacity in Nebraska. Nationally it is the 52nd-largest of the 55 operating Nuclear plants in the database. Commissioned in 1974, it is newer than 62% of the 85 operating Nebraska plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, runs 12 operating plants in Nebraska totaling 3,065 MW. It shares Nemaha County with one other operating plant, AUBURN.

EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 801 MW of nameplate capacity, all nuclear technology. Net generation was 6,096 GWh in 2024 (an 87% capacity factor), up 8% from 2022.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is COOPER (345 kV), about 0.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 345 kV line owned by OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, under 0.1 miles away. Another 8 operating power plants totaling 1,671 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is NEBRASKA CITY (1,390 MW, Coal).

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology

Weather peril exposure

COOPER is an 801 MW nuclear power plant in Nemaha County, NE, operated by NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, commissioned in 1974. Nemaha County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.0 of 5 at the 51st national percentile. Heat wave is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 99th percentile.

The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a nuclear plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.

3.0 of 5Modeled catastrophe exposure

ElevatedExposure band

Heat waveLeading peril

Very LowFEMA county risk rating

Nemaha County hazard ratings

Peril	FEMA rating	National percentile	Peril score	Events per year
Heat wave	Relatively Low	99th	5.0 of 5	8.4
Tornado	Relatively Low	95th	4.8 of 5	0.35
Wildfire	Relatively Low	83rd	4.3 of 5	<0.01
Winter weather	Very Low	68th	3.7 of 5	12.1
Strong wind	Relatively Low	68th	3.7 of 5	4.4
Ice storm	Relatively Low	62nd	3.5 of 5	0.94
Lightning	Very Low	61st	3.4 of 5	47.6
Hail	Relatively Low	55th	3.2 of 5	7.2
Riverine flooding	Very Low	52nd	3.1 of 5	2.2
Earthquake	Very Low	17th	1.7 of 5	<0.01

Perils not assessed in Nemaha County

These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.

Peril	Why it is not scored
Hurricane	FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county
Coastal flooding	FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county

Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Nemaha County in the weather risk calculator

Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.

Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.