Power Play, With Wind

            Nebraska needs a power surge in renewable energy expansion—one that turns on the juice.  This spring our state legislators passed a bill, LB104.   It lowers renewable energy development costs through incentives that our utility companies should be scrambling to capitalize.   

            Nebraska doesn’t need to be the apparently bewildered coal slinger state (with our 450 megawatt wind/gen capacity) surrounded and out-winded by Iowa, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and South Dakota.  We have the wind resources to do much more.  Time to get motivated.  Bottom line, we need to get back in the wind energy game!

            This isn’t about bragging rights.  You know, all flags and decals and “we’re number 1!”  It’s about keeping rates low, creating jobs, and building an economic base that attracts business investment in our state.  Companies that bring their business and jobs here because we have invested in stable utility rates through renewable energy.  Companies that perceive Nebraska as a place attuned to meeting the needs of the future.  We could attract billions, with a b, of investment dollars.

            Wind farms themselves represent large ecologically sound investments that produce not only power, but construction jobs, technical maintenance jobs, thousands of dollars in lease payments to land owners, and thousands more in tax revenues for school districts and other local government operations.  Plus reduction of greenhouse gasses, air pollutants, health care costs, and conservation of huge amounts of water now used for other types of energy production.    

            Around here, we think it’s time for a high wind-energy power play.