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Nebraska Wind Farms

Nebraska Wind Projects - Case Studies

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Existing Nebraska Wind Farms

Projects are listed in order of commercial operation)

Springview Wind Energy Facility (I & II)

Keya Paya County, Nebraska - Nebraska's first utility-scale wind project came on-line in 1998 west of the town of Springview. This facility consisted of two 750 kw Zond wind turbines, totaling 1.5 MW and operated until 2007, when the need for repairs and a lack of spare parts led Nebraska Public Power District to decommission the project and sell the parts to NextEra Energy Resources of Juno Beach, FL. FL.

In 2011, two new wind turbines were installed and placed in service at this site by Omaha-based Bluestem Energy Solutions LLC. In this case, Bluestem owns and operates the two 1.5 MW Vensys 77 direct-drive turbine models with power sold to NPPD via a PPA. NPPD views this new technology as a possibility for future projects. (January 2014)

Ainsworth Wind Farm

Brown County, Nebraska - This 59.4 MW project came on-line in 2005.  RES Americas served as the EPC construction contractor, while it is owned by Nebraska Public Power District. It consists of 36 Vestas V82, 1.65 MW wind turbines. The project is located around 6 miles south of the town of Ainsworth.

Elkhorn Ridge Wind Farm

near Bloomfield, Knox County, Nebraska - This 81 MW project came on-line in early 2009 and is comprised of 27 Vestas V90, 3.0 MW turbines. The project was developed by Midwest Wind Energy LLC and is owned by Edison Mission Group and the Tenaska group, with power sold to Nebraska Public Power District. The wind farm consists of 27 Vestas V90 (3.0 MW) wind turbines.

The Wind Project at Kimball

Kimball, Red Willow County, Nebraska - A 10.5 MW project of the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) came on-line in November 2002.

Flat Water Wind Project

Richardson County, Nebraska - A 60-MW project that was developed by juwi Wind (formerly JW Prairie Wind Power LLC of Lawrence, KS), but bought out by Gallop Power of Austin, TX and later Gestamp Wind North America of Houston (with the parent company in Spain). This 60-MW project went on-line in December 2010 and consists of 40 GE 1.5 MW turbines. RES Americas handled construction, while the power is sold to Omaha Public Power District via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). 
(February 2011)

Laredo Ridge Wind Energy Project

Boone County, Nebraska - Laredo Ridge Wind Farm LLC, a project of Midwest Wind Energy LLC and Edison Mission Group, signed a 20 year PPA with Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD). The 80 MW project went on-line at the end of 2010. (April 2011)

Quick Facts
Land Payment ~$6,500/turbine annually
Turbine Model GE xle 1.5 MW

TPW Petersburg Wind Project

Boone County, Nebraska - The 40.5 MW TPW Petersburg Wind farm was developed by Third Planet Windpower of Incline Village, Nevada. This project consists of 27 GE 1.5 XLE-ESS wind turbines, the power of which is purchased by Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). In December 2011, Gestamp Wind North America acquired the project The project qualified as C-BED and came on-line date in November 2011. enXco Service Corp. announced in February 2012 that they signed an Operations and Maintenance Agreement with the wind farm. (February 2012)

Broken Bow Wind Project

Custer County, Nebraska - This project was originally started by NPPD in 2008 and later awarded to Midwest Wind Energy LLC in 2009 through a bid process. Midwest Wind completed development of the project and later sold it to Edison Mission Energy. The 80 MW project is located just east of Broken Bow, and came on-line in October 2012. The project consists of 50 GE 1.6 MW turbines and is now owned by Edison Mission Energy. Wanzek Construction was the Balance of Plant (BOP) contractor.

The power purchasers for this project will be: NPPD - 47 MW, OPPD - 18, Lincoln Electric System - 10, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) - 4, and the City of Grand Island - 1 MW.

Benefits: According to a news report, construction activities at this project created an estimated $5.6 million in state sales tax revenues. Over the completed project's 25-year life, it will provide nearly $900,000 in annual property tax and state income tax revenues plus and additional $540,000 in lease royalty payments to the landowners. (October 2012)

newCrofton Bluffs Wind Farm

Knox County, Nebraska - This project was a joint effort between NPPD and Edison Mission Group. There are 22 Vestas V90 wind turbines - some sized at 1.8 MW and others at 3 MW - at this site. In all, the project is capable of producing 42 MW of power. From this project, NPPD will take 20 MW, Omaha Public Power District 13 MW, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska four, and Lincoln Electric System three. This wind farm will be on-line by the end of 2012. (August 2012)

newSteele Flats Wind Project

Jefferson & Gage Counties, Nebraska - This 75 megawatt project owned by NextEra Energy Resources began producing electricity in November 2013. Originally developed by Infinity Wind Power  starting in 2011, this project contains 44 turbines and interconnects to the grid at a substation near Steele City. The power from this project is purchased by NPPD and construction took place in 2013. A road agreement with Gage County was approved in June 2013 and construction began in mid-August 2013. (November 2013)

  

Nebraska Wind Projects Under Construction

newPrairie Breeze Wind Project

Antelope & Boone Counties, Nebraska - Invenergy is in the process of developing a 200 MW, 118 turbine project that will be the largest wind farm in Nebraska when it's complete. In October 2010, it was announced that the Nebraska Power Review Board granted the project conditional approval to allow export of power from this project. In December 2012, it was announced that the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) had signed a PPA to purchase power from this project. The agreement would cover 25 years and gives OPPD the option to purchase the project after 10 years (when the tax credits, which publicly-owned OPPD is not eligible to use, expire). NPPD is also eyeing a PPA with Invenergy for up to 75 MW of power. In October 2013, it was announced that Invenergy had completed project financing for the the wind farm, which will feature 118 GE 1.7 MW turbines. Operation for the project is scheduled for January 2014. (October 2013)

Verdigre Wind Project

Knox County, Nebraska - This project of Windlab Developments USA, an Australian company with a U.S. office in Plymouth, Michigan. This project is located in Southwest Knox County. According to the company's web-site, this project will contain 47 wind turbines for a total capacity of 81.5 MW. A sodar unit was installed in October 2010 and two 60 meter meteorological towers were installed in February 2011. Over 6,900 acres of agricultural crop and grazing land are under long-term control. Long-term estimated wind speeds for this project are 8.2 m/s.  In August 2013, Windlab Development submitted a layout of 59 turbines to the FAA for an aeronautical study. In November 2013, the FAA released their determination for this project. As of March 2014, this project is apparently under consruction. (March 2014)

Nebraska Wind Projects with PPAs

Grande Prairie Wind Farm

Holt County, Nebraska - It was announced in October 2013 that Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) will purchase 400 MW of wind power from this 235-turbine, Geronimo Energy project, located northeast of town of O'Neill. This project has a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) and will be the largest wind purchase to date for the Omaha-based utility. Mortenson Construction is the general contractor on the project, which features 200 Vestas V110 turbines and is planned to be operational by December 2016. (November 2015)

newBroken Bow II Wind Project

Custer County, Nebraska - Broken Bow II will be the second phase of to the Custer County project. This phase was also developed by Midwest Wind Energy LLC. In Sept. 2013, it was announced that Sempra Gas & Power purchased the project and agreed to a 25 year PPA with NPPD, which will purchase the entire 75 MW output. Construction is expected to begin in 2013 with a construction work force of 300 and 12 permanent employees after the wind farm is in operation. Sempra has executed an agreement to purchase forty-three 1.7-MW General Electric wind turbines. Early projections estimated the project would cost around $110 million. (January 2014)

Proposed Nebraska Wind Projects

newWildcat Ridge Wind Project

Banner County, Nebraska - Midwest Wind Energy LLC of Chicago is planning this large project in the Nebraska panhandle, that could include up to 1,000 wind turbines and more than 1,500 MW. Banner County is located along the Wyoming border.  (November 2013)

Burt County Wind Project

Burt County, Nebraska - This small project is owned by 22 farmers and hopes to qualify as a Nebraska C-BED (Community-Based Economic Development) project. Except for the very important purchaser of the energy, this project is ready for construction. This is likely an 80 MW project. (September 2013)

newE.On Wind Project

Butler & Polk Counties, Nebraska - E.On, an international energy company with an office in Chicago is in the very early stages of developing a project (or projects) in these counties. (March 2014)

Conestoga Wind Project

Cass County, Nebraska - This project is under development by Midwest Wind Energy LLC. The project is expected to be around 80 MW. (April 2011)

Cherry County Wind Project

Cherry County, Nebraska - A 100 MW wind farm filed for interconnection in the Southwest Power Pool in Spring 2010. The developer and other details of the project is not yet known by KEIN. (May 2010)

Dawson County Wind Project

Dawson County, Nebraska - Geronimo Energy of Edina, Minnesota is in the process of developing a wind farm in Dawson County. A meteorological tower has been collecting data at a site seven miles northeast of Farnam. The proposed wind farm will span 20,000 acres between Highways 21 and 47 and include around 50 towers producing 100 MW of power. Geronimo Energy plans to have the project ready by 2015-16. (August 2012)

Rattlesnake Creek Wind Project

Dixon County, Nebraska - TradeWind Energy of Lenexa, Kans. is working on a 200 MW project in NE Nebraska near the towns of Allen, Emerson, and Wakefield. This project stalled in 2012 due in part to the equipment taxes charged to wind turbine equipment in Nebraska (and which are not charged in other states). In June 2013, wind industry lobbying to exempt equipment from taxes prevailed when Gov. Heineman signed the tax bill into law. While the orginal intention of TradeWind Energy was to market this project to utilities in other states and break ground by the end of 2013, (in part to qualify for the Federal PTC), the company announced at the 2013 Nebraska Wind Conference that they would not break ground before 2014, but would still try to export the power. A company spokesman noted that TradeWind has invested millions of dollars in this project and has no intention of walking away from it. (November 2013)

Hallam Wind I & II Projects

Gage and Lancaster Counties, Nebraska - Volkswind USA, a German company with a U.S. office in Portland, OR, is in the process of developing a 100-124 MW project along the Gage and Lancaster County border in SE Nebraska.  The project is located near the town of Hallam. Development for the project began in 2009 when Volkswind began working with a landowners group consisting of 65 families called 136 Wind Energy Group. In September 2014, it was reported that the project applied for permits with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Department. In this filing, it noted that more than 50 landowners had signed leases and that the company had 7,000 acres under lease in Lancaster County and another 4,000 acres in Gage County. In November 2013, this project was granted a Special Use Permit in Jefferson County, when the developer planned for the project to be in Jefferson and Gage Counties. (September 2014)

Johnson County Wind Project

Johnson County, Nebraska - This 60 megawatt project of Invenergy received Special Use Permits by the Johnson County Commission in March 2012. The project is expected to consist of 37 turbines and will be located the towns of Sterling and Crab Orchard. (April 2011)

Ogallala Wind Project

Keith County, Nebraska - A 229.5 MW wind project filed for interconnection in the Southwest Power Pool in summer 2013. This impact study for this project was set to begin in August 2013. The developer and other specifics of this project are not yet known by KEIN

Also in Keith County are plans for a 10 MW wind farm on the Gerry Geisert farm. This project is being developed by Michigan-based Green Oak Renewables, LLC.
(August 2013)

North Fork Wind Project

Knox & Cedar Counties, Nebraska - This project was originally developed by Midwest Wind Energy LLC, though in March 2013, MWE sold it's wind farm development portfolio to Geronimo Energy of Edina, Minnesota, including this project. The project is expected to be around 1,200 to 1,500 MW in size and contain up to 600 wind turbines. (January 2014)

Lancaster County Wind Projects

Lancaster County, Nebraska - In 2013, two wind projects entered the Southwest Power Pool generation interconnection study list.  A 50.6 MW project entered the queue early in the year with a proposed on-line date of Dec. 31, 2013. This project is in the Facility Study Stage. Later in the year a 73.6 MW project with a proposed on-line date of June 30, 2014 entered the queue. This project is in the DISIS Stage. Actions by the Lancaster County commission in November 2015, lowering decibel limits and increasing minimum setbacks may make these projects unlikely to be built. (November 2015)

Madison County Wind Project

Madison County, Nebraska - A 100.5 MW wind farm filed for interconnection in the Southwest Power Pool in early 2010. This may be a project of Third Planet Windpower of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, which has a 23 turbine project, TPW Madison, LLC, located 14 miles southwest of the city of Norfolk, according to filings with the Federal Aviation Administration.
(December 2013)

Burr Ridge Wind Project

Otoe Counties, Nebraska - This project is under development by Midwest Wind Energy LLC, though it is now a project of Geronimo Energy of Edina, Minnesota, which acquired all of MWE's projects in March 2013. The project is expected to be around 80 MW in size and is located in SW Otoe County near the town of Douglas. In summer 2013, another Otoe County project of 51 MW entered the Southwest Power Pool generation interconnection study list at the DISIS Stage. It's not yet clear whether this is the same project or a different one. (January 2014)

Thayer County Wind Project

Thayer Counties, Nebraska - Aether Energy LLC (also known as Aksamit Resource Management) of Texas has put up multiple met towers in Thayer County, one a mile NE of Byron, along Highway 8, just north of the Kansas border. In October 2012 they received a determination of no hazard for a met tower East of Byron, perhaps the same one as reported in June 2011. (October 2012)

Wayne County Wind Project

Wayne County, Nebraska - A 99 MW wind farm filed for interconnection in the Southwest Power Pool in Spring 2010. This is likely a project of Way Wind LLC of Madison, Wisconsin. In June 2011, it was announced that Way Wind and Nordex USA were teaming to develop a project between 99 and 120 MW. The developer and other details of the project is not yet known by KEIN.
(May 2010)

newWinside Wind Project

near Winside, Wayne County, Nebraska - A 120 megawatt project filed for interconnection with the Southwest Power Pool in early 2011. The planned location is near Winside and lists a December 2012 on-line date. As of August 2012, this project was pending an impact analysis. (August 2012)

newCottonwood I & II Wind Projects

Webster County, Nebraska - In late 2013, it was learned that Infinity Wind Power of Santa Barbara, Cal. was planning two projects in Webster Co. According to the company web-site, Cottonwood I will be a 115 MW project, while Cottonwood II will have a capacity of 250 MW. A 2011 FERC document noted that the company proposed to build an 89.7 MW project featuring 39 Siemens VS 2.3 MW turbines. In September 2014, news articles reported that NextEra Energy Resources had obtained approval from the Nebraska Power Review Board to build an 89.5 MW, 52 turbine, version of the Cottonwood project, located near the town of  Blue Hill (pop. 916). Construction is planned for 2015 with completion by the end of that year. (September 2014)

newWebster County Wind Projects

Webster County, Nebraska - In 2013, two wind projects entered the Southwest Power Pool generation interconnection study list.  One is a 25.5 MW project with a proposed on-line date of Dec. 31, 2014 and the other is a 125.8 MW project proposed to be on-line one year later. While both projects were in the Facility Study Stage by Nov. 2013, if or how these projects are related to each other is not known. It is likely that the larger project is one of the Cottonwood projects detailed above. (September 2014)

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