Wind Power News: Nebraska
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Wind energy concerns
I have read the Hub’s recent feature on wind energy. There are some problems with wind energy which need more attention, and are not much discussed among wind promoters. The article emphasized the role of transmission of wind energy, but failed to mention that wind energy is an inefficient user of transmission capacity. The transmission lines, substations, etc., must be built with the capacity for the nameplate capacity of the generators, but in operation only about 35 to 45 percent . . .
Siting new wind farm a lengthy, complex process with four key factors to consider
KEARNEY — When Tom Swierczewski goes “prospecting” for wind farm sites, wind quality isn’t the first consideration on his checklist. High-quality wind throughout the Midwest means developers can choose from hundreds, maybe thousands, of locations just in Nebraska. “Economically, you could probably do a project just about anywhere,” Swierczewski said at last week’s Nebraska Wind Conference in Kearney. Key factors for his company, Chicago-based Midwest Wind Energy, are a site’s proximity to a transmission line and securing a power purchase . . .
Is wind farm OK for Sand Hills?
The Nebraska Legislature passed legislation to protect the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer from the Keystone XL pipeline. At the same time, an energy expert from out-of-state suggested that Nebraska should get heavily into the business of using wind power for the generation of electricity. I hope the legislation is broad enough to protect the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer from any activity that could be detrimental to either. I think the construction of a large wind turbine . . .
Work starts on wind energy project
Traveling down Highway 70 east of Broken Bow, you might miss the small orange sign marking the turnoff for construction vehicles. The sign seems insignificant; you might not even notice it most days, the gravel and dirt road seems like any other country road. What lies down the road is far from insignificant. The construction project along this road is, in fact, one of the largest civil engineering projects Custer County has ever seen. This is the location of the . . .
Meteorological tower to be erected soon
Tangible evidence of a wind farm south of Gothenburg and Cozad is expected the end of the month. A meteorological tower to track wind speed and other data will be erected in a remote location five miles east and two miles north of Farnam. Kyle Simmons, lead developer for Geronimo Wind Energy, shared that information Thursday night in Eustis as the wind gusted more than 60 mph. Property owners whose land is in the path of the Dawson Wind Farm . . .
Dawson County board approves wind tower
LEXINGTON — The Dawson County Board of Commissioners approved building a meteorological tower in southwest Dawson County Thursday. The tower will be 197 feet tall and will be used to measure wind velocities and direction in anticipation of a 50-tower wind farm proposed by Geronimo Wind Energy of Edina, Minn. The tower will be five miles east and two miles north of Farnam. Geronimo representative Charlie Daum said the tower would remain in place five years or more. The wind . . .
Wind power vs. whooping crane on the prairie?
The term of art is incidental take. It refers to the “harassment, harm, pursuit, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capture, or collection of any threatened or endangered species.” Incidental take is in the news now because the Obama administration has given notice that it is evaluating issuing an incidental take permit (ITP) – a free pass of sorts – in a 200-mile-wide corridor from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico where whooping cranes migrate. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . . .
The reality of wind power
Wind turbines cost more to operate and maintain than planned, often have poor reliability, and place costly strains on other generators warns one early wind adopter, but so far the public is willing to bear the costs. Kevin Gaden, wholesale power director for the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) and NMPP Energy, a public power consortium covering parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming and Colorado, detailed his members’ experiences at the American Public Power Association conference in Washington last week. . . .
The reality of wind power
Wind turbines cost more to operate and maintain than planned, often have poor reliability, and place costly strains on other generators warns one early wind adopter, but so far the public is willing to bear the costs. Kevin Gaden, wholesale power director for the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) and NMPP Energy, a public power consortium covering parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming and Colorado, detailed his members’ experiences at the American Public Power Association conference in Washington last week. . . .
Second tower to measure wind in Thayer County
THAYER COUNTY — A second meteorological tower soon should be erected for a second wind farm project here. The project is known as Aether Energy LLC. Project organizer Gary Aksamit, a Texas-based energy broker who grew up in Alexandria, announced last week in a news release that Aether will begin construction of the meteorological tower the second week of July. Met towers measure the amount of wind present in an area and provide an indication of how much electricity may . . .
