Huge potential for clean, safe, reliable, cost-effective wind power expansion in Nebraska

NREL map of huge wind power potential in NebraskaAs Missouri River floodwaters lapping at the buildings of the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant raise the specter of a catastrophic radioactivity release on the Great Plains, one wonders, are there alternatives for electricity in the Cornhusker State? Why yes indeed. Nebraska already has had some wind power generation for over a decade, but the potential is there for a huge expansion. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab has documented the potential for up to 7,800 Megawatts-electric of new wind power in Nebraska. Assuming predominantly local, public ownership (high Community-Based Energy Development, C-BED) -- a Nebraska tradition that will benefit the Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska Public Power District), the direct impacts of 7,800 MW-e of new wind in Nebraska would include: 17,795 short term jobs during construction-period employment; $3.238 billion (yes, billion with a B!) in construction-period economic output; 2,269 operations-period employment (long-term jobs); $255 million per year of operations-period economic output. In terms of total impact (direct, indirect, and induced), the potential benefits to Nebraska from a wind power expansion are even more lucrative: 36,508 short term jobs during construction-period employment; 4,038 operations-period employment (long-term jobs); 2,925 average annual employment impacts (jobs supported on average over the facility's lifetime); $14 million per year of average property tax revenues; and lifetime economic output of $14.1 billion (yes, with B!). Compare that with just 1,330 MW-e of nuclear generated electricity in Nebraska, of which Ft. Calhoun's 500 MW-e has been shut down since April for safety reasons due to the Missouri River's historic flooding, and Cooper's 830 MW-e should be shut down immediately for safety's sake as well.

More ingenuity from Germany - 100% renewable electricity 24 hours a day

German farmers harvest $15 million from wind power

Harvesting Clean Energy on Ontario Farms, a new report commissioned by the Heinrich Boell Foundation,

highlights the untapped business opportunities for farmers that can be found in renewable energy. The report will be presented during a tour through the Canadian province of Ontario in partnership with the Climate Action Network Canada, Pembina Institute, and The United Church of Canada. It focuses on numerous benefits of renewable energy, such as rural economic development and improved environmental conditions. It also describes the government policies needed to allow farmers to embrace these benefits.Some farmers in northern Germany make $2.5 million in a good year growing wheat. They make $15 million harvesting the wind, as the Ottawa Citizen reports.

The world's first solar power station that generates electricity NIGHT

"Employing a unique solution to the problem that has stymied legions of engineers for decades, the two firms designed a maverick system designed to skirt the problem presented by nighttime." Setyoufree News

Our expert witness's home and pick up truck are solar PV powered!

Dr. Al Compaan, the expert witness for the environmental coalition Beyond Nuclear helps lead in the intervention against the Davis-Besse atomic reactor 20 year license extension near Toledo, Ohio, powers not only his home with solar photovoltaic panels, but also his converted all-electric pick up truck! (see photo at left) See his personal website for photos and more information. Dr. Compaan is an emeritus Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Toledo, and a former department chairman. Dr. Compaan, with assistance from his student Kathryn Hoepfl, wrote "Contentions 2 and 3" in Beyond Nuclear's intervention against Davis-Besse's license extension, arguing that solar PV, certainly combined with wind power, could readily replace the problem-plagued atomic reactor's 908 Megawatts of electricity.