Powering the Future: How Nebraska's Largest Rural Public Power District Is Leading the Way in Open-Source IT
Nebraska's Public Power Districts are known for their commitment to cheap and reliable electric service. This commitment has led Nebraska to consistently be one of the cheapest states in the country for electrical service year after year. Among Nebraska's PPD's, Southern Public Power District (SPPD) stands out as a prominent leader in the state. As the largest rural Public Power District in Nebraska, SPPD has long been committed to delivering on that commitment to its communities. Recently, SPPD took that same commitment into its datacenter.
At the center of this transformation is Travis Doht, Information Technology Manager at SPPD, who is guiding the district through a major shift in how it thinks about infrastructure, security, and sustainability. Faced with rising licensing costs and outdated systems, Travis saw an opportunity not just to upgrade, but to modernize in a smarter, more cost-effective way.
"Being the largest, we know others in the state look at us to see how we are doing things with technology. We want to set an example in Nebraska for others to build and collaborate on. We knew it was time to find something better when it came to our virtual environment."
That led SPPD to 45Drives and a future built on open-source.
The Challenge: Rising Licensing Costs and Aging Infrastructure
SPPD's virtual environment was centered around a single host server with no redundancy or failover. This meant that taking the server down for maintenance was a complex, time-consuming process involving detailed change plans and careful planning to minimize impact on users. Since the virtual machines running on that host were critical to their infrastructure, Travis carried the weight of knowing that if this one server went down, so would essential operations.
"We were running the most basic VMware setup just enough to keep things going. No vMotion, no vSAN, none of the extra bells and whistles."
But things changed when Travis began planning to move away from a single-node setup and toward a highly available infrastructure. "We were running just enough to keep things going," he recalled. "But I wanted something more reliable, something I knew would still be running in the morning." However, around the same time, VMware was acquired by Broadcom, and the resulting spike in licensing costs made the situation even more difficult. "We would potentially go from paying hundreds of dollars every few years to facing thousands of dollars annually. It wasn't sustainable," Travis said. For a public utility operating on a responsible budget, those costs compounded the urgency to find a more affordable path forward.
Discovering a Smarter Solution with 45Drives
The search for alternatives led Travis to 45Drives, and it wasn't a coincidence. "I came across a 45Drives video on YouTube and thought, 'I remember these guys from somewhere!'" What made 45Drives stand out was not just our open-source storage hardware but our philosophy: Empowering organizations to take control of their infrastructure without vendor lock-in or unnecessary expenses. This approach was exactly what SPPD needed.
Working closely with 45Drives, SPPD transitioned from a single legacy server to a three-node Ceph cluster. Using three Storinator C8s with 5 SSDs each, this cluster uses open-source virtualization with Proxmox VE and integrated storage via Ceph, providing failover and high-availability for both virtual machines and data storage. This wasn't just a hardware refresh. It was a complete reimagining of how SPPD's IT infrastructure could work. "It was a big leap," Travis admitted. "But it gave us what we needed: high availability, redundancy, and peace of mind."
Why 45Drives Was the Right Partner
What set 45Drives apart for SPPD was the perfect mix of tailored, scalable hardware and expert support, all grounded in open-source principles. Instead of offering a generic, off-the-shelf solution, 45Drives worked directly with SPPD to design a cluster that fit their unique needs, flexible enough to grow over time, while keeping costs in check.
Our deep expertise with open-source platforms like Proxmox VE and Ceph ensured the transition went smoothly, with no compromises on reliability. Travis appreciated having a single point of contact throughout the process, which made communication and support for the team straightforward and hassle-free.
A key benefit was that the entire 45Drives team is based in North America, offering quick response times and real, knowledgeable experts.
"I've dealt with many vendors, but the support from 45Drives was by far the best I've ever experienced."
What stood out most was the access to real people behind the project. "You're not just stuck in a support queue. I went from talking to a salesperson to having direct conversations with the engineer designing the setup". The result was a clean break from expensive licensing and a move toward a platform SPPD could fully control and grow with.
Transitioning from ESXI VMWare to Proxmox VE
The move from VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE marked a big change for SPPD, but it turned out to be easier than expected. For Travis, the learning curve was minimal. "I've never worked with Proxmox before in a production environment," he said, "But from an administration perspective, it wasn't hard. The interface was intuitive, and honestly, we got more features out of the box than we ever had with VMware at the price point."
Backed by 45Drives, the deployment was planned and executed with precision. "You guys sent me exactly what to expect, what changes we could make, it was super clear," Travis recalled. "Everything arrived ready to go, and I had time to test my switching ahead of time—even without anyone on-site, the process felt seamless. That was the smoothest remote deployment I've ever been a part of."
Beyond Cost Savings: Embracing Innovation and Resilience
The impact of the new infrastructure has gone beyond just cost savings. "Before, I had to get creative to keep our VMware setup secure because we couldn't afford updates. Now, updates are straightforward, and we're no longer locked into expensive licensing," Travis explained. This newfound freedom has led to multiple open-source projects across SPPD's IT environment, allowing the team to continue its mission of cutting subscription costs.
Looking ahead, SPPD is planning a disaster recovery site leveraging older servers and Proxmox VE, ensuring rapid recovery if the main site goes offline. "If something happens to our main office, we'll be ready to spin things back up fast without breaking the bank."
Advice for Other Utilities: Embrace Open-Source with the Right Partner
Travis offers a clear message to other utility IT teams facing similar challenges: "Don't be afraid to look beyond legacy vendors. Open-source solutions work in utility environments. If we are truly doing what's right for our customers – keeping costs of power low – open-source solutions save money for them and give you more control of your IT infrastructure. But you need the right partner to make it happen."
Why Choose 45Drives for Your Utility IT Needs?
At 45Drives, we believe utility IT teams deserve freedom and control, which means no vendor lock-in. Our solutions are fully open-source, giving you the flexibility to build and scale your infrastructure exactly how you need it.
Built with enterprise-grade hardware here in North America, our systems are designed to handle the demanding environments that utilities face every day. We act as your one-stop shop and single point of accountability, so you never have to navigate confusing support chains.
Most importantly, our expert human support team is ready to help when you need it fast, knowledgeable, and responsive. Utilities trust 45Drives because we deliver the reliability and freedom they need, backed by people who understand their unique challenges.
Ready to rethink your utility's IT strategy? Let's talk. 45Drives helps enterprise organizations of all shapes and sizes build resilient, cost-effective infrastructure so you can focus on what matters most: powering your community.