Nebraska’s solar power generation has increased from around one megawatt at the start of 2016 to over 13 megawatts by mid-2017.
That is what David Bracht of the Nebraska Energy Office recently told NET Nebraska.
Bracht said the continued interest in solar power has resulted in more competition and improving technology, which has driven down costs by over 80 percent over the past seven years.
Graham Christensen, president of GC ReVOLT, a Nebraska renewable energy development company that has helped farmers and ranchers install their solar projects, said some incentives may be changing, including USDA grants, if President Donald Trump’s May budget, which proposed big cuts to the USDA and rural development, is passed.
“It's a very, very valuable program and we want to be able to maintain it,” Christensen said.
But Christensen is excited by the momentum in Nebraska’s solar industry, and said improving technology will continue to enhance its future potential.