Nebraska Solar Schools Program Update

Funded by grants from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) and the Facebook Community Action Grants Program, we have awarded, to date, 125 NEED (National Energy Education Development) Solar Energy Kits to K-12 schools all throughout our state. This Nebraska Solar Schools project would not have been possible without the generous support of NET, Facebook, and individual contributors.

Grant funding through the Nebraska Environmental Trust has ended. Sufficient funds remain in the Facebook grant for an additional ten kits, which will be delivered after the 2022-2023 academic year begins.

We want to thank the many teachers, principals and superintendents who have been or continue to be involved in the NEED Solar Energy Kits Project, providing their students with enriching STEM curriculum materials and activities to help prepare them for a renewable energy future.

Nebraska Department of Transportation

Announcement & Survey

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021, which includes the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. It provides states with $7.5 billion to expand the electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Over the next five years, Nebraska will have access to $30.2 million (~$6 million/year) in formula funds for EV charging infrastructure while also still being able to compete for a portion of an additional $2.5 billion in discretionary grant funding. Click here to learn more. 

Funding Available For Electric School Buses

Environmental Protection Agency News Release

“This new funding can make a big impact for children across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska and the nine tribal nations here,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “I urge all eligible school districts, tribes, and school bus operators to make the time this summer to apply for Clean School Bus rebates. Applications will be accepted until August 19, 2022. Over the next five years, this program will deliver $5 billion to school districts to improve our bus fleets and improve health and safety for our kids and communities.” Click here for more information and resources. 

OPPD's Greener Together Program

OPPD is accepting project applications today - August for their new 

Greener Together Program

• Projects must fall under at least one of the following categories; Renewable Energy, Environmental Sustainability, or Community Betterment/Education.
• Funding requests must fall within a $10,000-$100,000 funding range.
• To submit a project, fill out the Project Funding Application and submit all necessary documentation to greenertogether@oppd.com. Be sure to read the applicant requirements prior to submitting your application. 
• You will be notified when your project application is received along with a timeline for the project selection process, Click here for additional details.

Annual American Clean Power Association Event

American Clean Power Week (ACPW) is a nationwide celebration of clean energy and the good-paying jobs the industry creates for Americans across all 50 states. This year, ACPW is focused on the theme: Building the Clean Energy Economy. Through numerous live and virtual events, American Clean Power Week will highlight examples of how wind, solar, energy storage and transmissions projects are helping to build the clean energy economy in communities, states, cities, municipalities across America. 

• To learn more about the celebration, visit the ACPW website
• ACP Fact Sheet: Clean Power Nebraska 

Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference Webinar

August 17, 2022 - 10 to 11 a.m.

The Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference will present the webinar, “What Do Regional Transmission Organizations Do?” with Casey Cathey, the Director of System Planning at Southwest Power Pool. This seminar will cover a variety of responsibilities of the Southwest Power Pool Regional Transmission Organization, such as transmission planning, resource adequacy, operations, and energy markets. Register Here 

Solar Design and Installation Hands-On Workshop 2022

Nebraska Extension Event In Partnership With Dixon Power Systems 

Register by 5 p.m. August 12, 2022

Instructors: John Hay & Jon Dixon

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Cost: $250 for both days

Contact: F. John Hay jhay2@unl.edu or (402) 472-0408

This workshop is open to the public. We will cover solar design, installation and economic analysis of distributed behind the meter solar PV systems. Both classroom and hands-on sessions will step through the process of evaluation through installation. This workshop will be valuable for people interested in exploring a DIY project or gaining knowledge to evaluate the feasibility of having a project installed at their home. Lunch and snacks provided on both days. Click here to view the workshop content and to register.

Q&A

In each newsletter we feature a question and answer about renewable energy and related issues. Please send your questions to nebraskansforsolar@gmail.com

Q: We’ve been wanting to install a solar system with batteries at our dairy farm for years to reduce our energy costs, which are real high. Do you know of a quick guide for busy farmers with information about incentives in the bill that just passed? We heard from a neighbor that they include energy storage.

A: The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has put together an 8-page PDF that summarizes the generous provisions for solar energy and energy storage that are in the version of the Inflation Reduction Act the Senate passed on Sunday. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill this Friday. If it passes, it will go to President Biden, who has said he will sign it. More guides and resources would be forthcoming then. Here is the link to SEIA’s guide: Inflation Reduction Act: Solar Energy and Energy Storage Provisions Summary

See also the following article by the Associated Press: How the climate deal could help farmers aid the environment. Additional resources are included in the post. You may want to consider applying for a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant to further reduce your energy costs, as well as taking advantage of available depreciation on solar and storage equipment. REAP funding would be increased to almost $1.8 billion under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Renewable Energy Jobs

DOE Hiring For The Clean Energy Corps 

The Department of Energy is collecting resumes for candidates interested in becoming part of the Clean Energy Corps via our Applicant Portal and USAJOBS. The Applicant Portal is a streamlined application process which will allow applicants to align their talents with their passion by indicating specific areas of interest and allow hiring managers throughout the agency to review applicant resumes simultaneously. Click here to learn more.