Lancaster County commissioners voted 4-1 to increase the decibel level standard for landowners participating in a wind turbine project ...There is no change in the county noise rules for nonparticipating landowners. 

Impact on People Noise Nebraska

Despite strong opposition from residents of southwestern Lancaster County, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission on Wednesday approved changes to the noise limits in its zoning code for wind farms. The change was sought by NextEra Energy Resources ...that is considering building a wind farm with up to 50 turbines in southern Lancaster and northern Gage counties.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

At least two problems occur with wind power development in Nebraska counties. First, no standardized impact assessment is required of wind power developers (e.g., visibility zones, key observation points, renderings of proposed towers, etc.), and the process and expertise vary greatly from county to county. Second, wind power impacts do not remain contained (or containable). Wind power impacts become foisted upon willing and unwilling neighbors alike.

Impact on People Nebraska

It’s taken about seven months to put the proposed regulations together, so it was not surprising Wednesday that the Madison County board of commissioners spent as much time as necessary listening to testimony and discussing the updated wind energy regulations.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

A little more than 10 years ago, Madison County approved two conditional-use permits for wind towers to measure wind speeds to see if the areas were suitable for construction and operation of a wind farm.

General Nebraska

few American industries would be more deeply damaged by the administration’s pending trade actions than the wind energy industry. ...The steady growth that has defined the wind energy industry over the last decade would slow dramatically as producers scramble to substitute tariffed components with significantly more expensive — and often unavailable — alternatives.

Taxes & Subsidies USA Nebraska

This company will bully you with lawsuits if they don’t get their way and does nothing to alleviate problems caused ( our local TV signals have been scrambled and my close neighbor has had sound readings of 90-plus decibels recorded from her driveway even though we have a zoning limit of 50). 

General Missouri Nebraska

Plans for a wind farm in northern Gage and southern Lancaster counties that failed to materialize may be resurrected by a different company.

General Nebraska

Plans for a wind farm in northern Gage and southern Lancaster counties that failed to materialize may be resurrected by a different company. The Blue Prairie Wind Project, an affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources, is proposing to build a wind energy generation facility in the two counties.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

For the fifth consecutive monthly meeting, the Madison County Joint Planning Commission had people sitting in the hall and standing on Thursday. While Thursday’s meeting featured a long agenda, the majority of people who spoke discussed wind energy regulations.

General Nebraska

Members of the Adams County Planning and Zoning Commission are looking to change the county’s wind energy regulations. ...All the counties also have similar regulations for commercial wind energy systems. However, towers in Adams County shall not exceed 300 feet for the tower and 400 feet for the entire structure.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

Beyond concern for historic sites, Harms cited new information about the number of whooping cranes – also an endangered species – which use the area. And he mentioned landowners’ concerns that the line could encourage building wind turbines in the Sandhills, which many residents say would scar the land and spoil the view. So far, wind energy projects generating more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity, and requiring hundreds of turbines, are on a list of potential tie-ins to the R-Project. 

Transmission Nebraska

Impact on Landscape Impact on People Nebraska

For more than 50 years, Carolyn Semin has treasured the black nighttime skies in the Nebraska Sandhills dotted with twinkling stars. "People come from all over the world to look at it, especially at Merritt Reservoir for the annual Star Party," she says.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Nebraska

The regulations that were approved establish a set of rules more stringent than state regulations. At earlier county board meetings, it was disclosed that some landowners in the county had been approached by two wind energy companies seeking easements.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

"We live one mile and one-third from the closest wind turbine, and I'm sensitive to low-frequency sounds, so we purchased a decibel meter. Many nights we have a southeast wind, which is the prevailing wind, it sounds like a jet plane revving but the plane never, of course, takes off," Vickie paused, getting emotional and teary, "So, we pay to stay at a hotel in town."

General Nebraska

The writer, who lives in Cloverdale, California, is a native of Mullen, Nebraska. He is a longtime energy auditor who is now retired.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Nebraska

On Wednesday, the Cherry County Board of Commissioners voted 2 to 1 to reject recommendations by the county's planning and zoning board in regards to wind energy.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

State Sen. Tom Brewer, a Republican who represents the scenic Sand Hills region in northwestern Nebraska, said he’s willing to reintroduce a bill from last year that would have imposed a two-year moratorium on wind development in the region.

Energy Policy Nebraska

Supporters of a proposal that wind energy developers warn would severely restrict economic development in rural Nebraska said they’re not being heard by their local elected officials. So they pleaded their case to state lawmakers.

Energy Policy Nebraska