Nebraska is home to a variety of renewable energy sources, such as biomass and geothermal energy. Power plants that use landfill gas and other waste biomass to generate energy have been around since the mid-1990s, and the percentage of primary energy consumption from renewable sources has been steadily increasing since then. Nebraska's wind power potential ranks third in the country, but it is still far behind when it comes to renewable energy production. In 2019, renewable resources accounted for 23 percent of Nebraska's total energy consumption.
To increase investment in renewable energy sources, it is necessary to expand power grid infrastructure to provide greater reliability and reduce congestion. Nebraska Public Power serves areas outside of Lincoln and Omaha, and supplies wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power from its Brownsville facilities to customers in rural Nebraska. Nebraska has some of the best wind resources in the country, which has helped to boost the popularity of clean energy. From 1960 to 1980, renewable energy in Nebraska was mainly composed of conventional hydroelectric power and biomass. The two main obstacles to accelerating the use of renewable sources such as wind and solar are Nebraska's dependence on coal for energy production and the initial investment needed to manufacture wind turbines and solar panels. To make renewable energy sources more reliable in Omaha, Nebraska, it is important to invest in infrastructure that can support these sources.
This includes increasing power grid infrastructure to provide greater reliability and reduce congestion. Additionally, investing in research and development of new technologies can help make renewable energy sources more efficient and cost-effective. Finally, educating the public about the benefits of renewable energy can help increase its popularity.
