More wind power in Nebraska?

Nordquist suggests an investment in more wind energy could boost Nebraska's future economy

Wind could be a major source of Nebraska's electric power industry soon.

In the Nebraska legislature, a 25-3 first-stage bill was passed on April 22nd, 2015, to increase more wind energy in Nebraska. One of the reasons for bill is for Nebraska to catch up with the neighboring states who have developed their wind resources. The proposal by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha is to enhance state tax credits for new renewable-energy electric generation projects which includes solar energy. The payoff for Nebraska can be measured in terms of economic investment, income for landowners, increased local property tax revenue and added state revenue, as well as environmental protection, according to Nordquist.

"Either we bury our heads in the ground or we put investments in the ground," Nordquist said. Provide enhanced tax credits, he said, "and now we're in the game."

"We can welcome billions of dollars of investment or turn our backs and let it go to neighboring states," Nordquist said.

According to Nordquist, senators in the Nebraska legislature should take into account the impact of proposed federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations that will limit carbon emissions in a state that largely depends on coal-fired electric generation plants and begin to "diversify our energy portfolio" now.

In the graphic below is the net generation of power (wind power) for seven states from January 2010 to February 2015. Those states are Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota and are located in the West North Central region according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The numbers listed in the graphic below are by thousand megawatthours. For example, in February 2015, Nebraska generated 284 Thousand Megawatthours of wind while Iowa generated 1,578 Thousand Megawatthours of wind.

The graphic below from January 2012 to February 2015 indicates that Nebraska's net wind generation is growing. Including December 2012, Nebraska's net wind generation has increased every month since (compared to the same month one year earlier). That means the total net wind generation was higher in December 2012 than it was in December 2011 and it has been that way every month through February 2015. Another way to explain this is that the net wind generation for Nebraska in February 2015 was higher than in February 2014. The percent changes in increase or decrease are included below.

The graphic below from January 2010 to February 2015, indicates that Iowa has been leading in the net wind generation for a long time in the West North Central region according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In February 2015 in the West North Central region, Iowa generated 36.7 percent of the wind, Kansas generated 19.2 percent of the wind while Minnesota is closely behind them and generated 19 percent of the wind. North Dakota generated 11.1 percent of the wind, while Nebraska generated 6.6 percent of the wind. South Dakota generated 5.5 percent of the wind while Missouri contributed 2 percent of the wind. Nebraska will likely have to compete with Kansas and Iowa who are major competitors for future economic growth from wind energy.

As of 2012, coal is Nebraska's number one electric power source at 73.1 percent. Nuclear is in second place at 17 percent while wind is in third place at 3.8 percent. Conventional hydroelectric is in fourth place at 3.7 percent while natural gasoline is in fifth place at 2.3 percent. Wind energy could pass nuclear in the future and become the number two electric power source in Nebraska if more wind turbines are built.

Contributors to this story:

U.S. Energy Information Administration:

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_1_17_a

A story article from the Lincoln Journal Star contributed to this story.

Data from the Nebraska's official government website also contributed to this story:

http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/52.html

http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/89.htm