Nebraska’s electricity demand is expected to nearly double over the next 10 years, according to Steve Purdy of the Southwest Power Pool. Energy forecasts and new data shaped many of the conversations at the 19th Annual Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference in Lincoln, from the state’s energy mix to the transmission system needed to move electricity. Members of our team joined energy leaders from across Nebraska and the region to discuss how the state can plan for growing demand.
Purdy attributed the expected growth to data centers and other industries. At the conference, Jeff Clark of the Advanced Power Alliance said wind and solar provide about 32% of Nebraska’s electricity, compared with about 60% in Iowa and South Dakota.
Preparing for the Future
Those figures put renewable generation in the context of a larger planning question: what resources and infrastructure will Nebraska need as demand increases? Raphael Martinez, our Director of Business Relations, moderated the conference panel on unprecedented load growth, featuring Scott Benson of Lincoln Electric System and Brook Aken of Omaha Public Power District. The panel addressed rising demand from homes, businesses, manufacturing, and data centers, and the challenges and opportunities that growth creates for Nebraska.
William Harper, our Manager of Policy & Contract Compliance, found the discussion about the grid to be compelling. “It was a very interesting session on what large load could mean for the future and for ratepayers, as well as the role of continuing to get more energy onto the grid,” he said. Charlie Levy, our M&A Assistant and Project Developer, came away thinking about how that growth could affect project strategy, sharing that “We’re looking at where the load growth is coming from, whether it’s sustainable, and how we’re going to operate from an M&A and development perspective moving forward.”
Other conference sessions examined regional transmission, transmission expansion within Nebraska, and the Southwest Power Pool’s interconnection queue and congestion. These topics affect how new generation and large new loads connect to the grid.
Siting and Grid Capacity in Nebraska
More generation also raises questions about where projects can be built and how they connect to the grid. The conference included sessions on transmission constraints, renewable energy siting, property rights, and community support. Charlie shared that seeing regional leaders come together to prepare for rising demand stood out. “As we gear up for this next decade and unprecedented load growth, it’s great to see how everyone is banding together to solve the problem,” he said.
For William, the conference reinforced the role wind and solar can play in Nebraska’s energy supply and economy. “Wind and solar continue to be important energy resources for the state, and an economic engine that’s going to move landowners and communities forward,” he said. “It’s exciting to see how this is an industry that’s considering holistically the needs of the state and how we can best move that forward.”
Planning for the Opportunities
The Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference always brings together generation, transmission, policy, and workforce needs into the same conversation. And although Nebraska’s demand outlook is changing, planning for it will involve decisions about the resources the state develops, the grid that connects them, and the communities where projects are built.
Kyle Gorsuch, our Director of Operations and Maintenance, spoke with Northeast Community College students about careers in renewable energy. His own path connects directly to that conversation: Born and raised in Western Nebraska, Kyle earned an Associate of Applied Science in Wind Energy from Northeast Community College. He has since built his experience into a career with our team in solar operations and maintenance. He also enjoys working with students to show them the renewable energy careers available in rural Nebraska
We were pleased to serve as the conference’s Premier Sponsor and take part in discussions about Nebraska’s energy future. If you have questions about what lies ahead for wind and solar, contact our team. We welcome the opportunity to talk.
