When it comes to the generation of power, Nebraska does a lot of things right. Nebraska ranks as the number one state in the nation for residential electricity reliability, and Nebraska ranks as the fifth best state in the Union for the overall cost of electricity. Electrical utilities in Nebraska are completely owned by the public; there are no privately owned power companies in Nebraska. Nebraska has been a leader in power generation ever since the State Legislature passed its first public power bill back in 1933, but recent developments in wind energy have created new threats and a new need for legislation.
In case you haven’t noticed, wind farms are popping up all across the State. Many folks believe that these wind turbines are destroying the beautiful landscape of Nebraska, especially when they pop up in their own neck of the woods, and they wished they had an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns about them. For example, folks living near the Nebraska- Colorado border just south of Sidney recently had to witness the collapse of a wind turbine along with an ensuing fire. In addition, these same residents have to daily behold the ugly sight of an enormous and ever-growing pile of used and discarded blades from dismantled wind turbines.
The language of our current state statutes is also threatening the public’s control of our state’s wind farms. Current state law allows private developers operating intermittent generators to sell their electricity to companies in other states in competition with Nebraska’s public power companies. This practice undermines the intent of the Legislature to keep Nebraska as a 100 percent public power state. In order to protect the public nature of our state’s power industry new legislation is needed, and that is what LB 399 is designed to do.
