UNL Extension Center Auditorium, 4502 Avenue “I”, Scottsbluff, NE
Optional: Tour of NMPP Energy’s Kimball Wind Project
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LINCOLN, NE – The recently formed Nebraska Wind Working Group has scheduled a series of wind energy information workshops in five communities the week of February 18-22. The Nebraska Wind Working Group’s purpose is to share information, provide education and outreach, and identify strategies to develop Nebraska’s wind energy potential.
Workshop attendees will learn more about the Nebraska Wind Working Group and its goals, the opportunities for wind development in Nebraska, existing and future wind projects in the state as well as information resources and more. Wind energy experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado and Nebraska utility and state government speakers are also scheduled. No pre-registration is required.
Nebraska’s wind energy resources are ranked sixth in the nation and can play a vital role in meeting the President’s goal of using wind energy to supply 20 percent of the nation’s electricity demand by 2030. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates meeting this goal would bring in excess of $7 billion to the state’s economy – particularly in rural areas – and improve the quality of the environment for current and future generations of Nebraskans. Electricity generated from Nebraska’s winds offers promise for both in-state use and energy export.
Nebraska’s public power entities have developed wind energy projects which generate a total of 73 megawatts. However, this is a small amount of wind energy compared to the wind energy generated in other states with fewer wind resources. Innovative approaches to wind development that take into account Nebraska’s unique public power structure will help ensure significant, large-scale wind development and tremendous economic benefits to our rural areas in the near future.
In little more than a decade, Nebraska’s ethanol industry has become a state and national success story. Wind is Nebraska’s other renewable energy resource with economic potential that rivals its ethanol industry. With innovation and commitment from all areas of the state, Nebraska can also become a national leader in wind energy development.
The Nebraska Wind Working Group is a state and federal partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Wind Powering America that utilizes the resources and expertise of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to help Nebraskans wisely and effectively develop the state’s wind resources.