NPPD’s role in the state’s development of wind generation is both leading and cooperative. Knowing Nebraska is 6th in the United States for wind potential, yet aware that state or federal tax incentives are not available to public power entities, NPPD has still pursued an economical, practical, and customer-focused approach for developing wind generation in the state.

In its role as a leader and cooperative partner in the development of wind generation, NPPD:

1. Has invested more than $80 million in wind generation throughout Nebraska since 1995.
2. Owns and operates the state’s largest wind facility near Ainsworth, Neb., a 60-megawatt facility with 36 wind turbines. Purchasing energy from the facility are Omaha Public Power District, Jacksonville Electric Authority, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, and the City of Grand Island.
3. Participated in the construction of the state’s first wind facility outside of Springview, Neb. NPPD retired the equipment in 2007 and sold the twin turbines. Plans are to replace them in with newer turbine technology as a demonstration project.
4. Began installing monitoring equipment in 2008 at 10 or more prospective wind generation sites throughout the state.
5. Issued a Request for Proposal for Power Purchase Agreements from wind farm developers and sought 150 megawatts of additional wind-powered generation capacity, associated energy, and renewable energy credits to be located near NPPD transmission facilities. This initiative has a goal to achieve operation by in 2010.
6. The Request for Proposal yielded 10 proposals from seven different developers NPPD eventually pared to three projects for further negotiations. Two projects were selected and power purchase agreements were negotiated for the price that NPPD would purchase the output. The first project is 80-megawatt wind energy facility to be constructed north of Bloomfield, Neb. NPPD signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Midwest Wind Energy, LLC and its affiliate Elkhorn Ridge Wind, LLC, the developers who will own and operate the facility. A second power purchase agreement was signed with the Crofton Hills Wind Farm, a 42-megawatt facility located southwest of Crofton.  Community Wind Energy Transmission, LLC, will operate and manage that facility.
7. Has invested in all forms of renewable resources feasible in Nebraska and incorporates hydro, wind, and methane in the total mix of NPPD-owned generation and contract purchases.
8. Has a strategic goal of achieving 10 percent of its energy supply from renewable resources by 2020.
9. Encourages state and federal legislation that offers incentives to public and private entities interested in developing renewable energies.
10. Balances the unpredictable and inconsistent generation (daily and seasonal availability) from its renewable facilities with the constant (24 x 7) power production of its coal and nuclear facilities.
11. Seeks renewable energy projects that keep customer rates low, service and reliability high, safety foremost, and the utility’s operations efficient.
12. Demonstrates public power’s support for wind development in Nebraska.  

Statement of Nebraska Public Power District's efforts to purchase wind energy from C-BED projects.