About SunWise Community Solar Program

Solar energy is gaining traction in Nebraska as their cities embrace the technology. State officials continue to mine for new ways to help the trend along. Since the solar boom has such a large reach, some cities had to expand their newly built solar farms and build new ones. 
 

Adopting solar power

Many cities use the Nebraska Public Power District's SunWise Community Solar Program to help more cities within the state adopt solar power in a central location for residents to use. The program launched the new solar farms in Scottsbluff, Venango and Kearney.  More than half a dozen other cities have expressed interest since last year. The program asssisted with the launch of new solar farms in Scottsbluff, Venango and Kearney Additionally, Fremont  plans to build a second solar farm due to high demand on the first array that went live earlier this year. The farm permits customers to purchase their own solar panel or pay a one-time fee to use power generated. The first farm in Fremont sold out to 217 residents under 2 months. The biggest challenge is to find available land that can  feed the iNPPD's grid and ensure the local grid can handle the additional power simultaneously. Sen. Rick Kolowski, of Omaha, initiated a legislative study to investigate new methods to promote solar energy, with an emphasis on its environmental impacts. He wants to see the use of renewable resources more effectively, and hopes the study could lead to incentives or tax breaks to encourage more solar energy. "This isn't going away," Kolowski said. "We have to do it not just for ourselves, but for the future of our state." The NPPD arrays allow residents to purchase solar energy without installing rooftop panels. Solar energy has spread faster in some areas than others due to the state's local public utilities, said Cliff Mesner, a Central City attorney, developer and solar energy advocate. 
 

Providing more energy options 

Kearney promoted Nebraska's grandest community solar array last year on 53 acres of city-owned land near a technology park. It fulfills about 5 percent of the city's peak energy needs that translates to power 900 homes. City officials connected with NPPD to connect the system to the city's grid and sold off shares it produces. They’ve  sold or reserved about 90 percent and will use some as a recruiting tool for new businesses that want to use green energy. A college at Kearney purchased about half of the total shares to use more renewable energy. This gives residents more energy choices and potentially attract small and mid-sized technology companies with the promise of renewable energy. 

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save. Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.