WELCOME TO NEBRASKANS FOR SOLAR!

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NEBRASKA NEWS

• Scottsbluff solar project one step closer to reality
• Nebraska Among 16 States Awarded Department of Energy Grants to Develop Innovative Clean Energy Initiatives
• Lexington enters into solar energy partnership
• LES plans to dedicate solar park
• Lincoln Electric System to deploy 5MW solar power project
• LES ready to reap the sun
• Solar Power On The Rise in Nebraska
• The City of Fremont’s continued search for energy diversification
• APEX plans include 300-megawatt wind facility in Saline and Fillmore counties. This will be their first project in Nebraska.
• Beatrice Renewable Energy Projects Soon to be Reviewed

OPPORTUNITIES 

• New round of Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant applications now open.
  The Rural Energy for America Program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.
• The Solar Foundation has been selected to serve as the new National Administrator of the Solar Training Network – a major new program that will help grow and strengthen the U.S. solar workforce. If you are a solar employer or training provider interested in joining the Solar Training Network, you can sign up at SolarTrainingUSA.org. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, the Solar Training Network will help build the necessary infrastructure to better match workforce supply with soaring industry demand.
• New Ruling Opens Up 400 GW Renewables Market to Rural Electric Cooperatives and Municipal Utilities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms that co-ops can buy unlimited power from PURPA-qualifying facilities. Distribution co-ops and municipal utilities are no longer constrained in their ability to source cost-competitive local power. Click here to learn more.
• The Community College Gap Assistance Program offers financial aid to community college students taking non-credit courses that could lead to jobs in high-need fields. Eligible fields include renewable energy. Qualifying applicants are low-income students who would not be eligible for federal financial aid because, although they’re enrolled in college, they are not enrolled in courses for credit that lead directly to a degree. More information is posted here.
• Community Solar Technical Assistance Opportunity: Through funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sunshot Initiative, the nonprofit Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), is able to provide technical assistance to parties currently pursuing or interested in pursuing a community solar program. Apply online to be considered for this opportunity. SEPA began informing the first successful applicants on April 8, 2016. This opportunity will remain open through 2017, and applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.  Click here for additional details and the link to the online application form.

FEATURED POSTS
Report: States stand to gain if corporations have better access to renewables
New Report for Utilities Developing a Community Solar Project
Solar Energy Is Powering New Careers And It Could Be Absorbing Coal Sector Job Losses
GSA to request information on deploying storage in federal government buildings
The US Has 10GW of Utility-Scale PV Projects Under Construction. It took decades to install the first 10 cumulative gigawatts of PV. Now we’re going to see that figure matched in a matter of months.
Co-ops Prominent on Solar Energy Top 10 List
You’ll Never Believe How Cheap New Solar Power Is
New U.S. Map Shows Where Companies Can Buy Renewable Energy Through The Grid
NFS Takes Whimsical Clubhouse Off the Grid. Great fundraising project for schools and nonprofits, for a sale or auction.
The Heartland of America is ‘100% Clean Energy Ready’
“Why going green is growing on U.S. farmers” – Nebraskans Interviewed on PBS NewsHour
How much does a PV system currently cost in Nebraska?

About our organization
Nebraskans for Solar was incorporated as a public interest, nonprofit organization in August 2012. Between December 2012 and June 2014 we were a fiscally sponsored project of the Omaha Community Foundation. In June 2014 the IRS awarded Nebraskans for Solar status as a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization.

Our mission is to work with other statewide nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools, businesses and individuals to create access to solar energy for all.

Our 5 focus areas are: 

• Solar Powering Affordable Housing
• Nebraska Solar Schools. Nebraskans for Solar is a program partner in this new initiative, which officially launches this fall. Visit Nebraska Solar Schools’ website to learn more: nebraskasolarschools.org
• Community Solar Development. Our nonprofit is one of many renewable energy advocacy groups in Nebraska that support community solar as well as rooftop solar development in our state. Community solar has other names, including shared renewables, solar farms, and solar gardens.
• Going Solar Info Kits. These are free at all our community events.
• Educational Workshops, Panel Presentations & Tours

Nebraskans for Solar and Habitat for Humanity of Omaha installed this solar hot water system (equivalent to a 3-kW photovoltaic system or twelve 250-watt solar panels) on a South Omaha Habitat for Humanity home, one of four demonstration houses in our Solar Powering Affordable Housing Program.

Check out solar photos by clicking here (click on any photo to view as a slide show). Click here to see photos from the 2013 Omaha solar tour.

Photo collage of the 2013 Omaha solar tour.  Click the photo to enlarge.