by Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner
After two days of sometimes raised voices, state lawmakers reached a compromise on a bill that had been criticized as pulling up “the welcome mat” on renewable energy projects in Nebraska.
Prior to the agreement, the bill would have required developers of wind, solar and other renewable energy projects to reach an agreement with a Nebraska public power entity to purchase their energy before proceeding to construction.
Wind energy ratings
Nebraska ranks No. 7 in the nation in the percentage of its power produced by wind energy, at 24.7%, according to a February report from chooseenergy.com
It ranked No. 14 in the actual amount of wind power generated, with 859 megawatts, far behind No. 1 Texas, with 9,385 megawatts, and No. 2 Iowa at 3,399 megawatts.
According to the Nebraska Farmers Union, wind farms pay $17.6 million a year in lease payments to landowners, contribute $17.6 million in local taxes and provide 2,200 jobs.
Such a requirement, which had been rescinded years ago to open up wind power development in the state, was labeled as “anti-business” at a time when businesses such as Google and Hormel are demanding green energy for new facilities.
Pulls up ‘welcome mat’
“Legislative Bill 399 pulls up the welcome mat to renewable energy development,” John Hansen of Nebraska Farmers Union said in a recent letter to senators. “It’s bad economic policy.”
The main proponent of LB 399, State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, had portrayed the bill as making only minor changes.
But after debate that extended over two days, he and Bruce Bostelman of Brainard agreed to a compromise with the leading opponent, Omaha Sen. John Cavanaugh, that stripped out the requirement of a power purchase agreement and a trip before the State Power Review Board.
The bill now requires a renewable energy firm to hold a special meeting in the area of its project, with company officials present.
Requires ‘face-to-face’ meeting
Brewer, who has opposed wind energy projects in the past, said such meetings will allow local residents a “face-to-face” meeting with companies that want to be their new neighbors. Such projects, he said, have split families and communities, and residents deserve to hear from the companies.
The special public meeting would be on top of hearings held by local zoning and county boards. State Sen. Tom Brewer. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
Earlier in the debate, the senator had criticized discussions of a compromise saying that he had earlier agreed to several changes, and further amendments would “chop (LB 399) down until there will be nothing left.
Brewer had also discussed the negative consequences he saw if wind farms were built in the fragile Sandhills region of Nebraska, which is in his legislative district.
Don’t want to ‘turn into Iowa’
“We don’t want to turn the Sandhills into Iowa,” he said, a reference to the hundreds of wind farms dotting the Hawkeye State.
But facing a possible filibuster, Brewer struck a compromise, saying that Cavanaugh had “figured out how to thread the needle.”
Advocates for wind farms said that the requirement of a power purchase agreement with a public power utility would have ruled out new, more creative agreements with private companies that are seeking to utilize green energy.
Lincoln Sen. George Dungan said that companies would look outside Nebraska to build wind and solar farms unless LB 399 was amended.
The bill advanced from first-round debate on a 44-0 vote after the compromise was struck.
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