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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Editorial: One useful tool to preserve our precious land
It seems to us on the edge of “God’s Cow Country” that Sandhills residents (and western Nebraskans in general) are environmentalists in the most practical sense. The past 150 years have taught our region, especially its ranchers, that our vast open areas beyond our river valleys can’t simply be plowed up or disturbed at will. Hard experience capped by the 1930s “Dust Bowl” laid bare the fragility of the sand dunes’ thin layers of grassland that have sustained untold millions . . . Complete story »
Brewer at the Legislature: Worn-out wind turbine blades get dumped
I recently learned of a site in western Nebraska where the remains of obsolete wind turbines are being temporarily stored. This concerned me very much because I do not want any new landfill created in Nebraska for the disposal of wind turbine blades. There are about 58,000 wind turbines in the U.S., according to the U.S. Wind Turbine Database. There are plans to build an additional 3,000 more wind turbines by the end of this year. Turbine blades need to . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine blade blocks westbound Interstate 80 traffic near Gretna
Authorities advised westbound Interstate 80 drivers traveling with plans to travel past Gretna should find an alternate route after a turbine blade slipped onto the roadway. Sarpy County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kyle Percifield tweeted a photo of the blade, noting that drivers would not be able to get past the Highway 31 exit at Gretna until the turbine was removed. Percifield told 6 News weather played a role in the accident. “Weather did make the shoulder soft, causing it to get . . . Complete story »
Wind power can’t be counted on
Recently, the Nebraska Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee heard from the leaders of NPPD, OPPD, LES and Southwest Power Pool. During his testimony, Lanny Nickell, chief operating officer for SPP, gave a good definition of accredited capacity: the “amount of nameplate rating that you expect to show up when you need it.” The expected wind energy on the Valentine’s Day weekend cold spell was 3,500 megawatts out of 28,000 megawatts installed in the SPP footprint. That would be 12.5% efficiency expected . . . Complete story »
Gage County Planning and Zoning continues wind regulations review
BEATRICE – The Gage County Planning and Zoning Commission continued its review of wind energy regulations Tuesday night, reaching consensus on a few recommendations. One area where the commission will wait for more information is on potential wind tower setbacks from public use areas, like parks and lakes. Assistant Lower Big Blue NRD Manager Scott Sobotka says that topic came up during consideration of wind farms in Saline County, though later in the process for the NRD. “The NRD certainly . . . Complete story »
Apex announces Jayhawk Wind sale to power Facebook facility in Nebraska
Monday’s press release noted that Facebook “stepped in as the project’s offtaker after a previous power purchase agreement was mutually dissolved.” [Commissioner Jeremy] Johnson said that while he might have appreciated being told earlier about Facebook’s involvement in the deal, it was not entirely surprising to him that the county government wasn’t informed beforehand, given the scale of the project and how it is financed. “This is kind of in line with that,” he said. Large corporations like Facebook often make moves such as using green energy to power new facilities they’re building “to improve PR image,” Johnson said. Complete story »
Bill would regulate wind energy in Nebraska
Wind energy is one solution that many supporting green energy say can help the country move away from fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas. But Senator Tom Brewer, who represents much of the Sandhills, said they cause a different reaction in his district. “When it came to Western Nebraska, what we had happen was a tear in the fabric of the communities,” said Brewer. Brewer said Friday he wasn’t there to debate the merits of wind energy, but said . . . Complete story »
Loup talks proposed bill on renewable energy standard
Local and statewide power districts are keeping an eye on a number of bills during the Nebraska legislative session, one of which could profoundly change the way the state’s power system is run. Nebraska Sen. John McCollister (R, District 20) proposed Legislative Bill (LB) 266 at the beginning of the ongoing legislative session. LB266 would create a renewable energy standard to encourage the development and use of renewable electric power generation, with a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions in . . . Complete story »
Unicameral to hear bill that would limit ‘wind farms’
The Legislature’s public hearing schedule for the coming week includes a measure that would limit “wind farms” to counties that have passed zoning regulations to govern them. The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Friday will hear Legislative Bill 424, introduced by state Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1507 of the State Capitol. Like other public hearings on Unicameral bills, LB 424’s hearing will be livestreamed by Nebraska Educational Television via nebraskalegislature.org. The bill’s “statement . . . Complete story »
Lancaster County loosens wind turbine regulations, landowners not happy
The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 to this week to allow for the electricity-generating wind turbines in rural parts of the county to be noisier and installed closer to residents. During the meeting Thursday, several commissioners cited the consequences of climate change and changing industries as justification for amending regulations. Vice-Chair Sean Flowerday noted that the University of Nebraska, General Motors, and the United States Government have all made moves to support renewable energy. “There should be no . . . Complete story »
