Recently, the Nebraska Chamber Foundation commissioned a study on the current state of Nebraska’s electric sector as the entire US electric industry faces significant load growth not seen since the 1970s. Why is the Chamber interested? Because the availability of affordable, reliable electricity is critical to economic development. Economic development is critical to ensuring all of our Nebraska communities remain alive, thriving, and relevant.
However, the focus on available energy has increased in recent years, as have the load growth factors. Large loads are appearing across the entire US footprint as artificial intelligence (AI), online commerce, and other online applications require 24/7 power for data centers. Federal policy and incentives are driving more US manufacturing, which will enable the US to rely less on foreign imports. Even the ag industry is experiencing significant biotechnology, hydrogen, and sustainable fuel production growth.
Securing adequately diversified power supply resources and upgrading aging infrastructure to meet this demand is the challenge our electric industry faces today, especially as the grid shifts from baseload fossil-fuel sources to variable, weather-dependent sources. This shift does not necessarily come from the grid operators but from the federal policy, incentives, and customer demands for “clean” energy.
Public Power in Nebraska has built a strong foundation with some of the US’s lowest electric costs and highest reliability statistics, ranking in the top five. Public Power also has a strong history of meeting the needs and goals of its communities, so this challenge is nothing new.
I would encourage you to take the time to review this study to better understand the need for improving our grid infrastructure, the benefits and trade-offs of different types of energy resources, the impact of energy policymaking, and how your Public Power is working to meet this challenge. Head to nechamber.com/foundation for a copy of the entire study. As always, please call or stop in with any questions.