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Wind Power News: Nebraska
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort 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.
Large crowd attends meeting on proposed Jefferson County wind farm
FAIRBURY – A Jefferson County Planning and Zoning meeting was held Thursday night at the Jefferson County Courthouse to continue talks of NextEra’s plan to build a second wind farm in Jefferson County. The special use permit is proposing to build up to 90 wind turbines, capable of generating 300 megawatts of energy, in the Jansen and Plymouth areas. The courtroom was packed with over 100 people, debating whether the aesthetic view shed, financial, and environmental risks that come along . . . Complete story »
Syracuse council hears from wind turbine committee
SYRACUSE – Wind Turbine Committee member Ann Boellstorff of Douglas attended the city council meeting to speak on awareness of the wind turbines Otoe County. She said the public needs to be aware of what is happening in western Otoe County. The committee had a booth at the Otoe County fair for three days and took a short survey of those that were willing to participate and in the survey of 350 people there was only one person in favor . . . Complete story »
New wind farm campaign forms in county, little known about the group
There is a new player in the ongoing wind farm saga in Jefferson County.Last year, Jefferson County Commissioners set a moratorium on new wind turbine permits to allow time for an examination and possible rewriting of wind turbine regulations. Since then, there have been ongoing campaigns waged by both supporters and opponents of further wind farm development in the county. During the recent Jefferson County Fair, an organization calling itself REIN (Renewable Energy Information Network) Nebraska paid for a banner . . . Complete story »
Gage County extends commercial solar moratorium
BEATRICE – Gage County officials have extended a moratorium on applications for commercial solar wind energy permits indefinitely, as the county’s planning commission works toward finalizing regulations. The action taken by the county board on a 6-1 vote, Wednesday, does not apply to smaller residential solar improvements, under 25 kilowatts. County Zoning Administrator Lisa Wiegand says the commission will be meeting next Tuesday night, with one of the items on the agenda being discussion of commercial solar energy regulations. “Hopefully, . . . Complete story »
Hundreds show up in opposition of wind farm
SYRACUSE – NextEra Energy Resources held a meeting with Lancaster and Otoe County residents Wednesday evening at the county fairgrounds in Syracuse to discuss the benefits of the Panama Wind Farm that would place approximately 38 wind turbines across Lancaster and Otoe counties. NextEra, which is said to be the world’s largest producer of renewable energy, was met by hundreds of area residents wearing matching yellow shirts that read “say no to big wind” to express their disapproval with the . . . Complete story »
County halts windmill tower leases
NEBRASKA CITY – Otoe County commissioners’ moratorium on applications for windmill turbine permits will halt finalization of any more leases between the county’s landowners and energy producers. Commissioner Jim Thurman, who is heading up a county review on wind turbine regulations and an outlook on future energy needs, said some landowners have already signed leases for a proposed wind farm of 18 to 56 turbine towers from Panama in Lancaster County to Douglas in Otoe County. Thurman said county commissioners . . . Complete story »
Opposition rising against gigantic windmill turbines
NEBRASKA CITY – Otoe County commissioners appeased an overflowing crowd Tuesday with passage of a one-year moratorium on accepting applications for wind turbine permits. The action comes after the Federal Aviation Administration began an impact study on a proposed wind farm between Panama in Lancaster County and Douglas in Otoe County. The proposal includes 18 to 56 turbines with a height up to 650 feet, which is nearly twice as a high as the 362-foot Nebraska Capitol building. Krista Kester . . . Complete story »
Rural Lancaster County town holds public meeting on wind turbines
PANAMA – The debate of wind turbines in eastern Nebraska has extended to one of the states biggest counties. Panama, NE., a town of just over 200 in rural Lancaster County, held a public meeting Wednesday night about a proposed number of wind farms. Chad Walvoord is a crop duster in the area and got a letter about possible turbines from the FAA. He and his wife Deanna started a Facebook group to alert the community. “April 5, we made . . . Complete story »
Tempers flare at Jansen meeting regarding wind farms
“I need you to remain civil. I’m asking you to remain civil.” This admonition was repeated multiple times by Kesha Eldridge, chairperson of the Village Board of Jansen, during a meeting to discuss the future of wind energy in Jefferson County on Tuesday, April 5. While a moratorium preventing new wind turbines from being erected in Jefferson County is in place, the campaign on both sides of the controversial issue of wind farms is continuing. Members of a Facebook group . . . Complete story »
Jefferson County residents fearful of potential wind farm
A group of Jefferson County residents is hoping to make wind regulations more strict amidst fear of a potential commercial wind farm in the area. Jefferson County Wind Watchers was organized by Jenna Wietzki, a rural Plymouth woman concerned about wind turbines potentially being built in eastern Jefferson County. “The taxes are low and there’s a nice school in Plymouth, so we wanted to live the dream out here in the country, have horses and wanted to raise our kids . . . Complete story »