Some rural Nebraska electric co-ops are exploring renewable energy, which could help them reduce costs in months when power demand peaks.
Just 10 percent of power in Nebraska is from renewables like wind and hydroelectric. Nebraska Energy Office Director David Bracht says a tiny part of that comes from solar, but declining costs will change that soon.
Around 89 percent of Nebraska’s electricity is from coal and nuclear. Bracht says solar and other renewables will struggle to replace them because they don’t provide constant electricity.
Kirsten Gottschalk from the Nebraska Rural Electric Association agrees, but says some farmers are interested in solar to address power use peaks.
Power use peaks happen in late summer, which is also the sunniest time of year in Nebraska—ideal for solar. Gottschalk says solar can give the grid a needed local boost, cheaper than buying expensive out-of-state-power.
