Issues

Renewable Resources for Energy Independence

Nebraska has great potential for renewable electric energy. Two plentiful, common-sense sources of renewable energy in our state are the sun and the wind. These technologies have become commercially competitive, offering real home-state electrical resources at competitive rates. Nebraska's economy will benefit from new jobs, and our energy future will be more secure as we are able to develop renewable electric energy. Renewable energy is a key to combating global climate change; it also contributes to a healthy environment by reducing water consumption and air pollution.

Throughout the state, farm organizations, businesses, rate-payers and utilities are ready to expand the potential for renewable sources of electricity.

However, Nebraska law limits this potential by narrowly defining the criteria to permit construction of new generating facilities. These criteria were written in the days when utilities competed to provide electricity in Nebraska, and the options were primarily coal, gas and hydro power. It is time for the laws of the state to be updated, to allow a systematic, thoughtful path to the future that protects both the fresh air and reliable, low-cost electricity Nebraskans enjoy.

Common Agenda Priority One for the 2008 Legislative session is to remove outdated barriers to the development of this economic resource, and to protect the public interest as Nebraska moves toward energy independence in the 21st Century.

Landowner Conservation Incentives

It's natural for landowners to think about the future of their land. Many want to keep their property in use as a part of the local agricultural economy, and to protect it from housing or other development. And it's not only rural landowners who have these concerns: Nebraskans in towns and cities all across the state value agriculture's contribution to the state's economy and the open vistas of our great outdoors.

Some landowners find a solution in conservation easements. Just as some landowners sell mineral rights, the right to build or develop on a property can also be set aside under contract. The owner voluntarily sells or donates the development rights to an organization that will ensure the land is used according to the agreement.

In Nebraska, these agreements benefit the community with cleaner water, flood protection, soil conservation, scenic areas that promote tourism and outdoor recreation, preventing federal regulation to protect species by voluntarily providing habitat for wildlife, and creating opportunities for voluntary watershed management in water short areas. This tool can be especially useful in water short areas, such as the Platte and Republican basins.

We support the creation of incentives for landowners who voluntarily donate conservation easements to protect important natural resources in key areas of the state, particularly where water supply is a concern.

The Platte River Recovery Program

The Platte River has been described as "Nebraska's lifeline." The river – and groundwater connected to it — provide drinking water for most Nebraskans, and irrigate millions of acres of land. Uncounted ducks, geese, cranes, and other wild creatures depend on the Platte, including rare species like the whooping crane, least tern, piping plover, and pallid sturgeon. All who rely on the Platte's water — people included — are affected by the river's diminished flows.

The Platte River Recovery Program offers hope for long-term protection and recovery of the Platte and for the people and wildlife that depend on it. The governors of Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming, and the Secretary of the Interior signed the agreement in 2006. Each signer has commitments to fulfill now, including funding from Congress and the other states to implement the plan.

Nebraska must also keep the promises it made in agreeing to the program, including adopting water management plans with timelines and funding for continued work to protect land, water flows and restore habitat.

Our goal this year is to ensure the Recovery Program is successful by obtaining Congressional funding and developing the Depletions Plan in Nebraska we promised to provide.

Nebraska Healthy Waters Initiative

Clean water is essential to public health and to industries such as recreation, tourism, and agriculture. It ranks at the top of nearly every survey in the state of Nebraskans' priorities for natural resources. Despite the importance we place on healthy water, every major river in Nebraska fails to meet water quality standards established by the state and federal governments; in short, every major river in Nebraska is polluted.

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality is responsible in our state for for development of watershed assessment and protection plans that would clean up our rivers, lakes and streams. But, with only one person assigned to this task it will take almost 300 years to complete the job. The budget for this problem is insufficient in the extreme. We want to put Nebraska on a course to clean up our rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in our lifetime. The key objectives of the Nebraska Healthy Water Initiative are to obtain a commitment from Governor Heineman and the legislature to a reasonable timeline with a reasonable budget and enough staff to get this job done.

We want to leave our children Nebraska waters they can swim and fish and boat in just as we have. We want a plan and funding for long-term pollution prevention and watershed cleanup. . . in our lifetime.