State's first solar battery project helps power Burt County
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Updated: 11:26 PM CDT Jul 8, 2021
Keegan Cooper
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Updated: 11:26 PM CDT Jul 8, 2021
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HIGHWAY 75 WINTERBERG COUNTY. YOU MOST LIKELY SEE GREEN SPACES ANYWHERE YOU GO INCLUDING SOME FARMLAND AND HOMES. BUT TAKE A LITTLE DETOUR OFF THIS DIRT ROAD. YOU’LL FDIN THE FIRST SOLAR AND BATTERY POWERED PROJECT IF IT'’ NDKI ANYWHERE IN NEBRASKA JUST WEEKS AFTER THIS SITE WENT. LINE, WE TOOK A TOUR WITH WILL CRANE FROM BLUESTEM ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND JOHN DOCKHORN OF BURT COUNTY PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT. THIS IS A LONG-TERM PROJECT. I ME THIANS PROJECT’S GOING TO LAST 30 YEARS AND WE NEED A DIVERSE GENERATION POROLTFIO. AND THIS IS ONE ASPECT OF IT. THE IDEA DAWNED IN EARLY 201. TEAM CRANE AND DARK CORN TELL US BLUESTEM ERGYNE AND BURT COUNTY PPD CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS TO MAKE ISTH SMAERLL SCALE PROJECT A REALITY CALCULATED THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS THAT WE COULD SEE AND WE SAW THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS TO TO SAVE MONEY OVER THE LONG RUN OF THE PROJECT. FROM THIS SPOT GREEN SAYS THE PANELS CONNECTO T A SINGLE POINT AND FEED POWER LINES ALONG THE GRID, BUT ATWH ABOUT WHEN THE WEATHER DOESN’T COOPERATE? THE SUN IS SHINING YOU CAN GENERATE IT WHEN IT’S NOT. HOWEVER WITH THE ADDITION OF THE BATTERY WE’RE ABLE TO STORE THAT POWEROW N YOU MIGHT THINK THE PANELS ARE THE STAR OF THE SHOW, BUT THE FOLKS BEHIND THE PROJECT SAY IT’S REALLY ALL ABOUT THIS TESLA BATTERY TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT CAN DO THE THREE MEGAWATT HOURS. IT COLLECTS CAN ACTUALLY FULLY POWER MORE THAN 50 HOMES ACROSSBERG COUNTY CRANE SAYS THE BATTERY'’ COMPUTER WILL ALSO RECOGNIZE WHEN HOMES AND BUSINESSES CRANK UP THEIR USAGE AND GIVE THE POWER GRID SOME ADDED JUICE. FOR OUT IRRIGATING THEIR FIELDS USING A LOT OF ELECTRICITY PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR HOUSES USING A LOT OF AIR CONDITIONING THE BATTERY WILL KIND OF RECOGNIZE THAT HHIG USAGE AND IT’LL START DISCHARGING WHEN IT’S NEEDED UEBLSTEM ENERGYLS AO BUILT A SECOND BATTERY STORAGE SITE IN DODGE COUNTY A 4 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT OVERALL. THAT’S EXPECDTE TO OFFSET 4.8 MILLION POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH YEAR. WE THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF THE BEST TECHNOLOGY AT THE TIME AND ALSO THE BEST VALUE PRICE IS A SUPER IMPORTANT THING IN THESE PROJECTS A CHALLENNGGI WINRTE IMPACTED UTILITY COMPANIES ACROSS NEBRASKA STRETCHING THE GRID TO ITS LIMITS. CRANE SAYS AS THE ENERGY INDUSTRY GOES THROUGH AIG B TRANSITION PERIOD COMPANIES CAN INVEST IN VIABLE COST-EFFECTIVE RENEWABLE SOURCES AND PROVIDE A NEW FORAN LDOWNERS AND FARMERS. IT’S A REALLY ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITIONO T KIND OFUR RAL LANDOWNERS AND FOR THEM. IT’S IT’S STEADY INCOME AS WELL AND KNOWING THAT THIS IS IN FACT A DECADES LONG INVESTMENT. IT’S NOT HARDO T SEE JUST HOW TO KEMAH AND BURKE COUNTY ARE REALLY LOOKINGO T THE FUTURE SHOWCASE WHAT THE PROJECT LOOKS LIKE AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE HOW THIS COULD BE SCALED BACK FOR THE FOR A HOMEOWNER AS WELL. ALASKA CAN ABSOLUTELY BE A LEADER IN SOLAR JOSE.