Nebraska Ranks 12th in Clean Electricity

But Josh Moenning, director of New Energy Nebraska, warned Wednesday that that potential could be lost or diminished if opponents of wind and solar projects push through legislation that closes the door to clean energy investments.

“There are enormous opportunities for new growth if we just seize them,” he said. “What we don’t allow in Nebraska will quickly be felt in our neighboring states. Failure to seize these opportunities means loss of new jobs, new farm income and new tax revenues that help lower property tax burdens for everyone.”

At a meeting of clean energy advocates, Moenning presented new findings from the American Clean Power Association’s quarterly market report, which show that Nebraska ranks 12th in the nation in the share of electricity generated from renewable sources.

The report found that wind, solar and battery storage systems account for 31% of Nebraska’s energy production and have a combined capacity to deliver 3,647 megawatts of energy, enough to power nearly 1 million homes. The state ranks 22nd in the nation for clean power, he said.

Moenning said the state has “tremendous potential” to increase clean energy production. The state has been rated third best in the nation for wind potential and one of the top 15 states for solar potential.

On the economic side, the report found that clean energy production supports nearly 2,500 jobs in Nebraska and pays $20.8 million annually in property and other taxes. Farmers and ranchers benefit from $37.9 million in annual lease payments.

Kevin Connot, a small-business owner and former Allen Consolidated Schools board member, told the group that taxes paid by the Rattlesnake Creek Wind Farm in Dixon County helped reduce the school’s property tax from 92 cents in 2018 to 63 cents last year. He said that translates to a savings of $300 on a $100,000 home or $3,000 on $1 million of farmland.

Ryan Zimmerman, a farmer and Pierce County planning and zoning commissioner, was also scheduled to speak. But Moenning said he was busy baling hay and preparing the ground for the largest solar farm in the Midwest. In a statement, Zimmerman said clean energy production could diversify farm income and help farmers weather market declines.

“Agriculture is about constant improvement and evolution with the latest technology,” he said. “We have a reputation for feeding the world, and soon we will power it.”

But opponents of wind farms or solar projects have blocked development in some areas of the state. Most opposition is local, but state lawmakers have also introduced bills that would make development more difficult.

In one recent case, Knox County officials adopted new and more stringent zoning rules this summer that made a planned 600-megawatt wind farm unfeasible. North Fork Wind, which had been planning a wind farm in the county since 2017 under the previous rules, and 12 local landowners who signed contracts with the Minnesota company have filed a lawsuit against those county officials and members of the opposing group.

A solar farm project near McCool Junction in York County faces similar struggles.