Monthly Archives: February 2019

Local artist paints Nebraska’s story into mural at Facebook’s data center in Papillion

By Reece Ristau, Omaha World-Herald

When employees of the Facebook data center in Papillion go to work each day, they’ll be greeted by a colorful 76-foot mural made by a Nebraskan, for Nebraskans. Created by Omaha native Justin Queal, the mural incorporates themes and images familiar to locals — like a monarch butterfly akin to the ones emblazoned on Papillion’s water towers and an overhead view of crop fields — all set against a backdrop heavy with rich, Husker red. Read more here.

Facebook photo of one section of the mural created by local artist Justin Queal.

Previously Posted News Stories & Editorial

OPPD Focused On Continued Investment In Our Communities

Omaha Public Power District News Release
February 14, 2019

Omaha Public Power District is committed to investing in the communities it serves. Furthering that effort, today, the OPPD Board of Directors approved a labor contract for streetlight
conversion work within its service territory to replace current technology with light emitting
diode (LED) technology.

This is part of the district’s five-year plan, officially beginning next month, to replace nearly 100,000 existing high-pressure sodium fixtures within its service territory. To date, OPPD has
converted approximately 400 burned out streetlights to LED. The district is utilizing a contractor alongside OPPD employees due to the volume and time frame of work taking place.
Continue reading here.

Additional Recommended Reading
NDEQ Co-hosting Nebraska Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Conference on March 25, NPPD News Release

NEWS FROM OTHER CITIES & STATES

The nuclear city goes 100% renewable, PV Magazine
Yesterday Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled the city’s
Resilient Chicago plan, which in action 38 is a commitment to
“transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy in buildings community-wide by 2035”. 

TRI-STATE NEWS

Smart community projects “a natural” for public power, says Kelly

By Paul Ciampoli, American Public Power Association

Smart community projects are “a natural for public power,” said Sue Kelly, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association on Feb. 11 in remarks made at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ 2019 Winter Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Among the things that public power is doing when it comes to smart city activities is converting streetlights to LEDs and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In addition, public power is working on microgrids and distributed energy installations. Read more here.

ALSO OF POTENTIAL INTEREST

 

Winning in a more distributed energy world: 3 steps to utility success, Utility Dive. A billion-dollar retail opportunity awaits utilities that turn reluctant customers into partners.

 

FEATURED NATIONAL INITIATIVE

Tariffs Hurt The Heartland, a bipartisan coalition launched in
September 2018, represents 150 organizations, including farms, small businesses, and consumer groups.

The coalition has hosted 15 events across the country to showcase stories of individuals, businesses, nonprofits and communities that have been hurt by tariffs.

Previously Posted

Google announces plans to build data center in Nebraska; signs point to Omaha area

By Reece Ristau, Omaha World-Herald

Omaha’s growing sector of data centers will add a major name to its ranks now that Google has announced plans to bring a data center to the state. A map on the tech giant’s website indicated the center will be in the Omaha area. The Nebraska facility was announced as part of a national expansion plan by Google, which will invest more than $13 billion in 2019 in data centers and offices across the country, according to a statement. Continue reading here.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

Previously Posted

Google And Apple Lead The Corporate Charge Toward 100% Renewable Energy, Forbes

Google is a member of RE100, a global, collaborative initiative uniting more than 100 influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. A growing number of RE100 members and other corporate buyers of renewable energy are working with their suppliers to adopt that goal, as well, exponentially increasing the deployment of wind and solar projects nationwide.

Lincoln neighborhood solar farm turns entrepreneurs into pioneers

By Mason Mauro

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) — Capitol Beach Lake neighborhood in Lincoln is living off solar
energy. The co-founders of Beach Solar LLC began the community effort in 2015. Two entrepreneurs began the solar project from the ground up, but the community effort is what’s seeing it through.

“This is something that is better for our future and for our kids’ kids. Let’s do it,” said Jeff Burhman, co-founder of Beach Solar. Burhman and his business partner, Terry Wittler, stopped at UNO along their solar power tour, Wednesday night. The discussion is their 12th seminar, but they never set out for this. Continue reading or watch the news story here.

Click here to view a Google Earth image of the solar project.

Thank you to everyone who attended our event this evening at UNO’s Community Engagement Center!

First of all, thank you to our guest speakers for their excellent presentation on Nebraska’s first-ever community solar project developed by a neighborhood association: Terry Wittler and Jeff Buhrman, Lincoln Capitol Beach homeowners, led the association’s efforts to pioneer this
innovative model for our state.

Michael Shonka, owner of Solar Heat and Electric and Nebraskans for Solar board member,
collaborated with Terry and Jeff on the project and joined them for part of the program this evening. The challenges they encountered and the lessons learned resulted in a time-saving plan for anyone interested in proposing the same idea to other power districts.

The discussion that followed their presentation generated many insightful questions and
comments from audience members. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Michael Shonka’s contact information is listed in Nebraskans for Solar’s Directory for anyone with additional questions.

Terry Wittler may be reached at the following email address: terrywittler@gmail.com.

Photo by David Corbin

BNEF: U.S. solar installations grew in 2018 despite tariffs

Written by Christian Roselund, PV Magazine

Today we got our first real estimate of solar installations in 2018, which indicates that despite four different rounds of tariffs – not to mention net metering and rate design battles and the gutting of PURPA at the state level – solar installations still grew 6% in 2018 to 11.7 GWdc.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) released these numbers as only one data point in its Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published in collaboration with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.  Continue reading here.

Free Webinar: 2019 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook

February 26, 2019, 1:30 to 2:30 pm: Join the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Clean Energy Business Network for this webinar briefing and Q&A on the 2019 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook.   

How do corporate wind deals benefit local communities?

By Anna Hoffman, Into the Wind, AWEA Blog

It’s clear that states that make it easy to buy renewable energy have a competitive edge over others when attracting corporate investment. What do the community benefits of non-utility wind deals look like? Case studies of wind farms with corporate investments in Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma provide good examples. We examined the following projects: Read more here.

Pixabay Photo

National Solar Jobs Census 2018

The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2018 is the ninth annual report on the size and scope of the American solar workforce. As of 2018, the National Solar Jobs Census found:

  • The United States has 242,343 solar workers, defined as those who spend 50% or more of their time on solar-related work.
  • Overall, the solar workforce has grown 159 percent since the first Census was released in 2010, adding nearly 150,000 jobs.
  • Solar jobs increased in 29 states in 2018, including many states with emerging solar markets. States with the highest employment gains include Florida, Illinois, Texas, and New York State.
  • While solar employment nationwide fell 3.2% for the year, with a backlog of utility-scale projects and new policy incentives in key states, survey respondents predict that solar jobs will increase 7 percent in 2019, bringing the total to 259,400 jobs.

Learn more here.
Solar Jobs By State
The Solar Foundation Infographic: Solar Jobs Census 2018

SEIA News Release: Tariffs Take a Bite Out of American Solar Jobs

Despite these recent challenges, though, many emerging markets saw solar job growth in 2018, and the U.S. solar industry’s long-term growth trajectories remain strong. The Solar Decade is upon us, and the dozens of gigawatts of new solar capacity the U.S. is poised to add will be accompanied with quality job opportunities for all Americans in each of the 50+ states and territories.

Previously Posted
Local View: Tariffs jeopardize wind farm growth, by Dan McGuire, Lincoln Journal Star
Dan McGuire is director of the American Corn Growers Foundation. He lives in Lincoln.

Renewables, infrastructure: What’s ahead in 2019?

Written by Jodi Baker, The Wire, OPPD Blog

The power industry is ever-changing – whether through technology,  regulations, or market mechanisms. On a
recent visit to Omaha, Sue Kelly, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA), discussed
some of the bigger issues facing public power and its
customers. APPA is preparing for their Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C. at the end of February. Each year, nearly 600 Association members – policy-makers like city council and utility board members – gather to learn about “hot
issues,” Kelly said. Continue reading here.