Wheat Belt explores possible renewable energy project

The Wheat Belt Public Power District inked an agreement last week to examine developing a renewable energy project.

"The agreement starts the process to determine a technology, size and economic benefit for a renewable energy project for Wheat Belt," Tim Lindahl, Wheat Belt CEO, said in an email.

The agreement was approved at a Wheat Belt board of directors meeting last week.

"Bluestem Energy Solutions is a developer of renewable energy and will be developing a utility-scale renewable project to be considered by [What Belt] in coming months," a media release states.

Bluestem will present a proposal for the board's consideration within the next 18 months, Lindahl explained.

"To move forward, the board will look at a variety of things, including what technologies and locations will be used, engineering studies to verify no negative impacts to reliability, long term load forecasts for the district to make sure we can utilize all of the energy and what long term economic benefits the project will have on the rate payers of Wheat Belt," Lindahl said.

He added, the public power district looks forward to moving the utility and State of Nebraska forward with economically viable forms of renewable energy.

"Should we move forward with the project, it will have long term economic benefits to the district and the customers of Wheat Belt, as well as to the community as a whole," Lindahl said.

Wheat Belt serves more than 5,000 meters in a 3,600 square mile area in western Nebraska.