NEBRASKA CITY – After rewriting county zoning regulations to constructively ban large-scale wind generation for electricity, Otoe County commissioners announced Tuesday they will review their zoning regulations regarding solar energy as well.

County commissioners ordered a one-year moratorium on wind permits after the Panama Wind Project was announced and ultimately made it unlikely that wind turbines would be constructed by passing a one mile setback from any non-participating property line.

On Tuesday, Board Chairman Jared Sornson appointed commissioners Chuck Cole and Dan Crownover to a solar farm committee that is expected to meet next month with members of the planning commission. Sornson said Otoe County has no solar farm applicants.

County Zoning Administrator Dave Schmitz said he expects the planning commission to review solar farm regulations recently adopted in Cass County, where NextEra Energy is offering landowners leases on 3,000 acres near Murray.

Otoe County’s current solar farm regulations recognize a landowner’s property rights, including a right to have sunlight shine on their land. The regulations establish an expectation for a solar skyspace from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The regulations cover setbacks from non-participating dwellings, the percentage of the site to be occupied by buildings and a height not to exceed 12 feet.

Otoe County allows a 300-foot setback, while Cass County requires 500 feet. Cass County requires screening if a non-participating residence is within 500 feet.

A report by Lindsay Mouw for the Center for Rural Affairs says agricultural uses can be combined with solar farms, such as livestock grazing, bee keeping and crop cultivation.

The report offers counties tips on regulating solar farms while protecting the property rights of owners and allow them to diversify their income.

 

 

The Omaha Public Power District, which serves 400,000 customers in 13 counties, recently announced its goal to expand electrical generation by 2.5 gigawatts over the next decade. The plans call for natural gas and solar generation.

A February press release does not mention coal as part of the expansion plan. A Reuters report this spring says the capacity of coal-fired power plants in the United States is expected to decline by more than half from 2022 levels over the next two decades.

Nebraska City Station units 1 and 2 are fueled by low-sulfur coal. OPPD says coal-fired plants are still part of the public power company’s energy portfolio, but its Power with Purpose initiative in 2019 says 600 megawatts of utility-scale solar is needed.

 

https://www.oppd.com/news-resources/news-releases/2024/february/oppd-continues-efforts-on-generation-expansion/