Falls City: ARPA could electrify industrial expansion

FALLS CITY - Lucas Froeschl of Falls City EDGE told county commissioners Tuesday he hopes Nebraska lawmakers will clear the way for federal American Recovery Funds to be used to expand electrical infrastructure.

Froeschl says a  bill expected to be introduced by Sen. Julie Slama would qualify electrical infrastructure for some Nebraska cities and open the way for industrial expansion in cities like Falls City.

As an example, he said the state is hoping to lure a company with a potential $900 million in the construction phase and demand for 30 million bushels of corn. He said Falls City meets the land requirements of 320 undeveloped acres and the agricultural production, but the development needs 50 megawatts of electricity while Falls City has only a fraction of that.

Froeschl: “Part of our proposal to the appropriations committee would be to give Falls City more access to power. We’ve got anywhere from two to three megawatts available for businesses that may want to come to our area. Some of these proposals are case studies that show they need anywhere from 40 to 50 megawatts, so we have railroads to the south that are good assets, but they are not really valued assets unless we have more access to the power.”

Falls City invested a decade ago in Omaha Public Power District’s coal-fired plant at Nebraska City and has a transmission line to access that power. Froeschl proposes an additional transmission line to create economic development.

Froeschl: “Sen. Slama is on board. You know, she’s aware of the issue that we have and is willing to introduce this bill on behalf of all second class cities of Nebraska. She understands the needs here. Hopefully she understands the assets that we have to offer and the value that Falls City can bring the state.”

Froeschl recognized the emphasis on fiber optics and modern, clean-energy technology with ARPA funds, but says electrical infrastructure linked to a railroad district should be part of the discussion.