LINCOLN -- Clean energy production has provided billions of dollars of economic benefit for Nebraska and has the potential to do even more, according to a coalition advocating for renewable energy.
But Josh Moenning, director of New Energy Nebraska, warned Wednesday that potential could be lost or diminished if opponents of wind and solar projects push through regulations that slam the door on clean energy investments.
"There are huge opportunities for new growth if only we would embrace them," he said. "What we don't allow in Nebraska, our neighbor states will quickly pick up. Not embracing these opportunities means losing out on new jobs, new farm income and new tax revenues that help lower the property tax burden for everyone."
At a gathering for clean energy supporters, Moenning unveiled new findings from the American Clean Power Association's quarterly market report showing that Nebraska ranks 12th nationally for the share of its electricity coming from renewable energy.
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The report said wind, solar and energy storage systems account for 31% of the energy production in Nebraska and have the combined capacity to provide 3,647 megawatts of energy, or enough to power nearly 1 million homes. The state ranks 22nd nationally for clean power capacity, he said.
Moenning said the state has "huge potential" to add to its clean energy output. The state has been rated as third best nationally for its wind potential and among the top 15 states for solar potential.
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On the economic front, the report said clean energy production provides nearly 2,500 jobs in Nebraska and pays $20.8 million a year 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 member of the Allen Consolidated Schools board, told the group that taxes paid by the Rattlesnake Creek wind farm in Dixon County helped drive down school property tax levies from 92 cents in 2018 to 63 cents last year. He said that works out to be a $300 savings 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 scheduled to speak as well. But Moenning said he was busy baling hay and preparing his land for construction of the largest solar farm in the Midwest. In a statement, Zimmerman said clean energy production can diversify farm income and help farmers weather market downturns.
"Farming is all about continuous improvement and evolving with the latest technology," he said. "We have a reputation for feeding the world, and soon, we will be powering it too."
But opponents of wind farms or solar projects have blocked development in some areas of the state. Most of the 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 regulations 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 previous regulations, and 12 local landowners who had signed agreements with the Minnesota company, have filed suit against those county officials and members of the opponent group.
Similar battles face a proposed solar farm near McCool Junction in York County.
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