http://www.windaction.org/ facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts en-us Windaction hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.windaction.org/articles/24039 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:40:14 GMT Two 197-foot tall ‘meteorological towers' erected recently on the Nebraska-South Dakota border northwest of Chadron could be the harbingers of a wind energy boom for Dawes County, but one landowner involved with the development says not to expect to see big turbines going up anytime soon. "One thing they told us-'If you are in a hurry, forget it," Dawes County Zoning Commissioner Ed Perrine said at a zoning meeting last week. "It can take up to five years after they set a met tower (before a wind generating installation is complete)." http://www.windaction.org/articles/24039 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24014 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:35:37 GMT The future of an 80-megawatt wind farm near Broken Bow depends on the Nebraska Public Power District's ability to find buyers for half of the energy it would generate. NPPD Renewable Energy Development Manager David Rich of Columbus said at Monday's "Wind Power 2009" conference in Kearney that NPPD-approved projects at Petersburg, north of Albion in Boone County, and Broken Bow in central Nebraska would generate a total of 160 megawatts of electricity. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24014 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23598 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:06:33 GMT Two agriculture heavyweights, the Nebraska Farm Bureau and Nebraska Cattlemen, are joining the fight for increased development of wind energy in the state. ...State Sen. Chris Langemeier of Schuyler, said one key issue is who would pay the estimated $20 billion needed to build the transmission lines needed to export wind power to major population centers in the East and South. Right now, Langemeier said, Nebraska ratepayers would be on the hook for building those lines "for someone else to profit from wind energy". http://www.windaction.org/articles/23598 http://www.windaction.org/articles/22135 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:09:58 GMT A landowners association in this community has set its sights on doing whatever needs to be done to establish a wind farm in Banner County. The Banner County Wind Energy Association held its first membership meeting Wednesday night, filling the Banner County Fire Hall with people interested in plans by two companies to establish a wind farm in the rural county. http://www.windaction.org/articles/22135 http://www.windaction.org/articles/21546 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:58:49 GMT City council members want to take some time to think about allowing wind energy in the community. Following a 20-minute public hearing on June 2 about zoning and subdivision regulations which included wind energy systems, the council decided to introduce the proposal and amend language at the June 16 meeting. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21546 http://www.windaction.org/articles/21287 Wed, 20 May 2009 03:24:55 GMT The bill would allow Nebraska's public power districts to waive their eminent-domain power when signing a contract with a private, wind-farm developer, which proponents say was a roadblock to some wind projects. It also allows the state's public power districts to build wind farms larger than 80 megawatts to take advantage of economies of scale. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21287 http://www.windaction.org/articles/21278 Tue, 19 May 2009 14:36:38 GMT Entrepreneurs who dream of building small-scale wind, solar, methane or other renewable energy projects could sell their power to the Nebraska Public Power District. The Columbus-based utility is interested in receiving request for proposals for projects of fewer than 10 megawatts that meet Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act guidelines. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21278 http://www.windaction.org/articles/21183 Tue, 12 May 2009 08:03:47 GMT Nebraska Public Power District's goal of providing 10 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010 will be met in part through wind generated power, a company representative said Monday. But, in a presentation to the Chadron City Council, account representative Terry Rajwich emphasized the challenges involved in creating and using electricity from wind, and concluded that customers can find more savings by conserving power than by erecting small scale wind generators. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21183 http://www.windaction.org/articles/20738 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:39:45 GMT Not everyone is thrilled with a proposed wind farm project for land in Knox and Cedar counties. Because of the large initial investment needed to get such a wind farm off the ground, Midwest Energy is partnering with Edison Mission and also a third-party funding source on this project. It would not qualify as what's known as a C-BED project, which makes it possible for landowners involved in the project to be investors in it, too. http://www.windaction.org/articles/20738 http://www.windaction.org/articles/20524 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:28:56 GMT A plan is in the air to harness the wind that blows across Northeast Nebraska in Knox and Cedar Counties. Close to 250 people showed up at a meeting in Wausa Thursday to learn about a proposed mega wind farm that could be located in eastern Knox and southwest Cedar counties. ...The proposal is for a state-of-the-art 1,200 mega watt wind farm. http://www.windaction.org/articles/20524 http://www.windaction.org/articles/19489 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:21:03 GMT More than 70 Saline county residents gathered in the Saline Center Hall to hear a pitch from RES - a company interested in setting up shop in the county. ...A windy money well would still be two to three years away - if landowners give it a chance to fly. Landowners have the opportunity to hear from three other companies interested in developing wind farms in Saline county. http://www.windaction.org/articles/19489 http://www.windaction.org/articles/18976 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:56:52 GMT A guy in a suit knocks on your door and says he's a wind farm developer and wants to put a big wind turbine on your farm. He offers you thousands of dollars for a long-term lease and says you can still farm the land and make some good money, too, just by signing a piece of paper. Sounds tempting. What do you do? http://www.windaction.org/articles/18976 http://www.windaction.org/articles/18736 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:25:13 GMT Energy sources from the atom to industrial hemp were promoted in Nebraska City Friday at a Nebraska Energy Office hearing. Neil Moseman, who Gov. Dave Heineman appointed in May to head the energy office, said the hearing was the last of eight held across the state in advance of revisions to the state's 1992 policy. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18736 http://www.windaction.org/articles/18389 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:30:15 GMT [E]xperts say, read the fine print. Under some contracts with wind developers - contracts ranging from 30 to 180 years - rural lands could be affected for generations to come. ...Too often, landowners hear a sales pitch and sign a contract without reading it. "If the wind blew at your place yesterday and it blew there today, it's probably going to blow there tomorrow," said Hansen, who urges farmers not to let wind developers rush them. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18389 http://www.windaction.org/articles/18116 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:15:47 GMT Midwest Wind Energy obtained "exclusive options" from landowners covering more than 6,000 acres near Douglas and Burr in Otoe County and about 5,000 acres near Plattsmouth, said Mike Donahue, executive vice president of the company. Donahue said the company is looking at both counties, which are within OPPD's service territory, and sites elsewhere, including Iowa and Kansas, in an attempt to win a renewable energy contract with the utility. OPPD has asked developers to submit proposals to supply 80 megawatts of wind generation. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 10. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18116 http://www.windaction.org/articles/15225 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:26:54 GMT Plans to build one of Nebraska's largest wind farms have set the wheels in motion for the expansion of the substation located approximately 5 miles north of Bloomfield. "We're expanding the substation to, first of all, support the planned 80-megawatt wind farm with Midwest Energy, and secondly, a 40-megawatt facility that hasn't formally been announced yet," said Mark Becker, media relations specialist for the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD). ...But Becker said Nebraska residents won't see a reduction in electricity rates from the installation of wind farms. "Right now, wind is a fuel that is free - it's not like coal or nuclear which we have to pay for," he said. "But wind energy generation is very sporadic and we have maintenance issues, as well - turbines are mechanical and problems do arise, so there are expenses." http://www.windaction.org/articles/15225 http://www.windaction.org/articles/14758 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:09:51 GMT The Nebraska Public Power District, along with Midwest Wind Energy LLC and its affiliate Elkhorn Ridge Wind LLC, announced today that after several months of negotiations the parties have executed a 20-year power purchase agreement that will pave the way for construction of Nebraska's largest wind farm near Bloomfield. The 80-megawatt Elkhorn Ridge wind energy project, to be constructed by the end of 2008, is expected to produce an amount of energy equivalent to the amount of electricity used by approximately 25,000 Nebraska residences in a year. The project is a direct result of NPPD's efforts to expand participation in wind development by issuing a Request For Proposal last July for wind projects up to 100 megawatts in size. http://www.windaction.org/articles/14758 http://www.windaction.org/articles/11506 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:38:55 GMT Seven proposals for wind-powered generation projects are in the initial stages of review by the Nebraska Public Power District. In mid-July, NPPD invited developers interested in building and operating more wind-powered generation in Nebraska to submit proposals by Aug. 20. NPPD said it will evaluate the projects and make a recommendation to its board of directors. The projects could add 100 megawatts of wind power to the utility's existing nuclear, coal, wind, water, diesel and natural gas facilities. http://www.windaction.org/articles/11506 http://www.windaction.org/articles/11484 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:31:55 GMT It will be November before a final decision is made, but at least two companies have indicated an interest in building a transmission line that would pass near Hays. One of those companies - ITC Great Plains - officially is on record that it would like to build the line, which would run from Spearville to the Knoll substation just northwest of Hays and then to Axtell, Neb., just south of Kearney. While it's significant that the line would come close to Hays, it's also the first line that a relatively new state agency - on its own accord - has proposed building if no private company steps forward. http://www.windaction.org/articles/11484 http://www.windaction.org/articles/10766 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:18:17 GMT Lack of available replacement parts, significant maintenance issues as the units aged, and the opportunity to demonstrate new technology, were the prime reasons for the decision to retire the units, NPPD said in a news release. http://www.windaction.org/articles/10766