People. Power. Progress.
Join CEO Emeka Anyanwu as he reflects on a year that helped shape what’s next for Lincoln Electric System, guided by the people behind the power and the community we proudly serve. In 2025, LES advanced that vision with Powering LES Forward, our strategic plan that turns long-term priorities into action. This Annual Report highlights the progress we’re making together today while keeping our focus firmly on tomorrow.
2025 at a glance
Spanning more than 200 square miles, our service area reflects a community on the move. In 2025, LES remained focused on the people we serve, the power we provide and the progress that connects them — delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable energy every day.
LES served an average of 155,114 retail customers — 136,862 residential and 18,252 commercial accounts. As the second-largest retail electric utility in Nebraska and the 34th largest public power utility in the nation, we remain committed to powering the people and places that make our community thrive.
Our 561 employees worked together to keep power safe and steady across our service area. Their expertise, teamwork and dedication strengthened the systems our homes, businesses and essential services rely on.
The average outage time per customer — measured through the System Average Interruption Duration Index — was just 18.4 minutes, excluding storms. This performance was well below our reliability goal of 30 minutes or less, reflecting our ongoing commitment to reliability and preparedness, even as energy needs evolve.
Through our Sustainable Energy Program, LES obligated $2.218 million to support 2,268 energy-efficiency projects. These projects reduced community energy use by 140,000 megawatt-hours, roughly equivalent to the annual energy consumption of approximately 100 commercial buildings. More than $1.5 million of those funds helped customers install high-efficiency heat pumps and air-conditioners, supporting long-term savings and cleaner energy use.
LES powered the community with a balanced mix of resources. Our nameplate resource portfolio — the full capacity of our generation fleet — is made up of 26 percent gas, 23 percent coal and 51 percent renewables. This diversity not only supports reliability and affordability but also advances our commitment to a more sustainable energy future.
LES added 445 MW of new nameplate capacity to our resource portfolio, including 423 MW of wind from projects in Oklahoma and 22 MW of hydropower from the Jeffrey Reservoir Hydroplant in Brady, Neb. These additions expanded our renewable footprint and support long-term system reliability.
Residential customers paid an average of $3.14 to power their homes.
*Published in 2025 based on budgeted amounts; the actual daily cost using final 2025 results was $3.08.
Over the past decade, LES maintained one of the nation’s most reliable electric service rate structures, ranking 4th among utilities serving 87 U.S. cities for residential rates.
*Based on the 2026 Competitive Market Study.
LES contributed $27.7 million to support local services and community needs. This included $14 million in annual Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) dollars to Lincoln Public Schools, Lancaster County and the cities of Lincoln and Waverly — and bringing our total PILOT contributions since 1966 to $377.8 million. An additional $13.7 million was provided to the City of Lincoln through the City Dividend for Utility Ownership, bringing the total to $114.3 million since 2012.
Our Meter Services team collected 36,217,722 meter reads, not including interval reads from demand meters. These readings generated just under 2 million bills — 1 million printed and 964 thousand paperless — ensuring accurate, timely billing for customers across our service territory.
Through LES’ Energy Assistance Program (EAP), $391,947 was used to support customers facing financial hardship. Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties administered the funds on LES’ behalf, responding to 3,724 calls and supporting nearly 4,000 people through this essential community program.
31,024 customers enrolled in LES’ enhanced online account experience. Since its launch, nearly 80,000 customers have joined the platform, gaining access to personalized tools that make managing their LES accounts easier and more convenient.
Safety & Dependability
Safety and dependability are more than expectations at LES — they’re enduring promises to our employees, customers and community. Throughout 2025, these values guided how we worked, planned and showed up for the people we serve, strengthening the power behind our progress and the trust we strive to earn every day.
15 years of no lost time injuries
Terry Bundy Generating Station celebrated a remarkable achievement: 15 years without a lost-time injury. Over more than 546,000 work hours and 14,000 completed work orders, employees have shown extraordinary care for one another and dedication to safe work practices. This milestone reflects a culture where people look out for their teammates, take safety seriously and ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.
Industry-leading reliability
LES delivered some of the most reliable electric service in the nation once again. Our system achieved an Average Service Availability Index of 99.9963%, meaning the lights stayed on for customers more than 99.99% of the time. Customers experienced an average outage time of just 18.4 minutes on normal days — ranking 2nd in reliability performance, according to a recent competitive market study of 82 cities. Despite experiencing the most major storms in a decade, LES teams worked tirelessly to maintain a strong, resilient grid. Behind every number is a dedicated group of employees who monitor, maintain and strengthen the system day in and day out — ensuring our community has power it can count on, no matter the conditions.
North Bluff substation
LES energized our new North Bluff substation — one of the largest and most complex substations in our history. Located near 56th Street and Bluff Road, the facility is now delivering power to Lincoln’s first large data center. This milestone reflects more than 28,000 hours of planning, design, construction and testing by LES employees. The scale is extraordinary: an 800,0000-square-foot site, more than 12,000 tons of limestone rock, nearly 1.5 miles of welded aluminum bus, 18 miles of control cable and 10 miles of ground wire. This investment not only expands our capacity but also strengthens the resilience of our grid for years to come.
Cyber Tatanka
With an ever-changing cyber landscape, our cybersecurity work is never done. Therefore, LES co-hosted and participated in Cyber Tatanka, a two-week, hands-on cyber defense training event designed to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure. Conducted in a fully closed computing environment, the exercise brought together industry experts, the National Guard, international partners and federal, state and local agencies. This collaborative training enhanced readiness, improved coordination and reinforced the safeguards that help keep our systems — and our community — secure.
Community & Integrity
Community and integrity lead every step we take at LES. By putting people first and honoring the commitments we make, we deepen the bonds that make public power strong. In 2025, these values helped us lift one another, grow together and serve with purpose.
Demand reduction
LES’ commitment to responsible stewardship shines through our demand-reduction programs. Our Sustainable Energy Program helps customers make energy-efficient upgrades more affordable, while Peak Rewards gives households a simple way to partner with us on high-demand days. These programs reduced net peak demand by 6.3 MW in 2025. These collective efforts support a more sustainable energy future and help us care for our community’s shared resources.
Strategic plan engagement
We set out to create a strategic plan shaped not just by our goals, but by the voices of the people we serve. Through surveys and community meetings, customers shared their hopes, priorities and honest expectations for the future of their electric utility. That input became a guiding force in Powering LES Forward, helping refine our mission, sharpen our vision and strengthen the strategic objectives that will carry our utility ahead. By listening closely and acting on what we heard, we built a plan grounded in trust, shared purpose and the future our community envisions.
Spark summer camp
In June, LES welcomed more than 150 K-5 students for a firsthand look at what it takes to keep the lights on. As part of the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools’ Spark Summer Camp, students explored STEM through hands-on learning — from seeing how electricity travels across our system to attending a live high-voltage demonstration and touring our facility. Interest in STEM continues to grow across our community, and these experiences spark curiosity and connect LES with learners of all ages — inspiring the next generation of thinkers, builders and innovators.
United Way support
The spirit of giving runs deep at LES. Employees contributed a record $121,786 through the LES & IBEW Workplace Giving Campaign — our highest total yet. United Way also recognized LES as one of Lincoln’s top 10 workplace-giving companies for our 2024 campaign. Because the campaign is funded entirely by employees, these contributions reflect the true heart of our workforce and what we can accomplish together.
Curiosity & Excellence
At LES, curiosity fuels new ideas, and excellence turns them into impact. Throughout 2025, these values inspired us to challenge old assumptions, pursue smarter solutions and bring our best to the people we serve — strengthening a culture where creativity, effort and progress go hand in hand.
Mutual aid
Major storms put our resilience to the test, and public power rose to the moment. After a blizzard downed 93 poles and left 12,600 customers without service, LES crews restored power at home before heading out to help nearby utilities recover. Months later, when 91-mph winds caused outages for more than 38,000 customers, mutual aid crews stood alongside 260 LES employees to return that support. These shared efforts show how public power’s commitment to service, collaboration and excellence continues to hold our communities together.
EV Ride + Drive
LES’ EV Ride + Drive event gave customers a chance to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle and experience the technology in action. Attendees connected with EV owners, tested different models and learned about what it takes to go electric. The event created space for open learning and fresh thinking — helping customers explore emerging transportation options with confidence and curiosity as they consider what’s possible for their households and our community.
International Lineman’s Rodeo
LES lineworkers brought their skill and knowledge to new heights at the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Overland Park, Kansas — our first international appearance in years. Through written challenges and technical events, they demonstrated the drive, craftsmanship and precision that define their work. The team returned energized and inspired, calling it the best rodeo they’ve ever attended.
Great Plains New Nuclear Consortium
LES joined Nebraska Public Power District, Omaha Public Power District and the Grand River Dam Authority to form the Great Plains New Nuclear Consortium. This early collaboration allows public power utilities to explore next-generation nuclear technology with fresh thinking and open-minded rigor. By examining feasibility, siting and emerging designs together, we’re proactively evaluating how advanced nuclear power could support future reliability, sustainability and regional energy needs.
LES leadership
2025 LES Administrative Board
Lucas Sabalka
David Spinar
Carl Eskridge
Andrew Hunzeker
Kate Bolz
Karen Griffin
Chelsea Johnson
Eric Schafer
Alyssa Martin
LES Executive Team
Emeka Anyanwu
Shelley Sahling-Zart
Emily Koenig
David Malcom
Paul Crist
Jason Fortik
Lisa Hale
Katie Lechner
People: Connected to our community
Every day, the work of our employees shows up in ways most customers never see, yet feel all the time: in a safer community, a cleaner environment, a more curious generation and a more connected Lincoln. And in 2025, their commitment stretched well beyond their daily responsibilities.
Power: Ensuring resource adequacy
At LES, delivering reliable, sustainable and affordable power has always been core to our mission. And in 2025, new regional regulations made that responsibility more important than ever.
Progress: Powering LES Forward
While 2025 marked many milestones in LES’ history, one milestone will shape our utility for years to come. In August, the LES Administrative Board unanimously approved Powering LES Forward, our new strategic plan — the culmination of nearly a year of collaboration, listening and focused work.