NPPD votes down wind energy

NPPD District 11 Director Fred Christensen Extremely Disappointed with No Vote On Wind

1740 County Road P • Lyons, NE 68038

flchris@nppd.com

For Immediate Release

October 11, 2013

Lyons, Nebraska – Today the NPPD Board of Directors voted 6-3 against purchasing more wind energy.  District 11 Director and Burt County Farmer Fred Christensen, who represents the counties of Burt, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon, Thurston, Wayne, and parts of Washington County, was one of the three votes supporting expanding Nebraska’s wind energy development.

“I am extremely disappointed today in the NPPD Board’s vote against adding more wind energy at this time.  We had an opportunity to lock in historically low electrical rates for the next 20 years with very little risk, and we chose to do the opposite.  However as disappointing as this vote is I will continue to support and work for homegrown energy sources on behalf of my district,” said Director Fred Christensen.

Christensen said that all polls over the last decade, including NPPD’s own polls, show between 75-90% support level in Nebraska for wind energy.  In District 11 Christensen said he has continually received support from constituents that want to develop their homegrown energy resources for various reasons.  These reasons include establishing new tax revenues, local jobs, landowner payments, new local investment opportunities, local debt financing, and protection from rising fossil fuel costs.

“Our rural areas desperately need these new revenues created by local energy resources.  As members of the public it is crucial that we continue to weigh in so Nebraska-based energy resources become a standard part of energy production for public power.  In fact, public power was designed so that the people of Nebraska can create energy and reap the economic rewards in our home communities,” stated Director Christensen.

Despite the fact wind energy prices have been dropping, the price of wind energy will likely go up next year with the expiration of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) at the end of 2013.  This means without a Renewable Energy Standard in place it more difficult for Nebraska communities to develop their wind resources.

“I just want to see our prized public power structure function up to its full-potential, while maintaining its credibility with our customer-owners.  We missed an opportunity to lock in historically low rates for the next 20 years while harvesting our homegrown wind resource,” said Director Christensen.

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Graham Christensen