Norris Public Power District

Energy Forward :: Energy Education

Different energy production methods common in Nebraska are briefly described below. Nebraska ranks #5 in the nation for having the lowest electrical rates. A major reason is our diverse mix of generation sources and the fact that we are the only all public power state in the nation.  For information on basic electricity fundamentals and how the electric industry generates and delivers power to its customers, click here.

Coal-fired power plants
Coal-fired units produce electricity by burning coal in a boiler to heat water to produce steam. The steam, at tremendous pressure, flows into a turbine, which spins a generator to produce electricity. The steam is cooled, condensed back into water and returned to the boiler to start the process over.

Nebraska gets most of its electricity from coal. In the future, more emphasis will probably be put on nuclear and renewable energy sources as climate change legislation is passed. Clean-burning coal technology is currently in development and could help offset CO2 emissions from traditional coal-fired power plants.

Hydroelectric power plants
Hydropower is a renewable energy source which produces electricity by moving water. A dam restricts water flow through a pipe, or penstock, to power turbines. The moving water causes the rotor to rotate in the magnetic field to create electricity. The water then exits the front of the dam. In a run-of-the-river system, the momentum of the current applies the required pressure. In a storage system, water is collected in reservoirs created by dams, then discharged as needed to generate electricity. Hydropower generates minimal pollution and requires little maintenance once the structures are built.  

Benefits of hydroelectric energy:
- Creates a large amount of electricity
- Renewable source of energy

Drawbacks of hydroelectric energy:
- Blocks water flow of rivers
- Alters the environment

Nuclear power plants
Nuclear power plants operate much like coal power plants, except that they use nuclear fission to heat water and produce steam instead of using coal in a boiler. Enriched uranium is used as fuel instead of coal, and that heats water so it turns into steam, which drives a turbine that spins a generator to produce power.

Benefits of nuclear energy:
- No dependence on fossil fuel
- Minimal emissions

Drawbacks of nuclear energy:
- Transporting uranium is potentially hazardous
- Radioactive waste is dangerous and expensive to control

Wind generation
All commercially produced, utility-scale wind turbines are horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). These wind turbines are constantly aligning themselves with the wind direction to provide maximum efficiency and capture the most energy possible. Rotor blades are mounted at a height that is optimized for wind speed and energy capture. 

Wind turbines are most efficient at producing energy when wind speeds are around 33 miles per hour. If wind speeds are too high and the turbine is vibrating too much, it will automatically shut down. A typical large wind turbine can generate greater than 1.8 MW of electricity, or 5.2 million KWh annually, under ideal conditions – enough to power nearly 600 households. Still, nuclear and coal power plants can produce electricity cheaper than wind turbines can.

Benefits of wind energy: 
- Clean
- Renewable

Drawbacks of wind energy: 
- Unreliable - the wind doesn't always blow
- Can't run at 100% power because wind speeds fluctuate
- Can't run at all in very windy conditions
- Hazardous to birds and bats
- Noisy for nearby residents

Nebraska has large amounts of untapped wind generation potential. Many investors are looking at Nebraska land for building wind farms; however, a system of transmission lines to transport the energy generated from the wind turbines has not been established yet, and would be expensive to build. Some estimates predict that transmission lines could cost up to $1 million per square mile, a cost that would eventually filter down to Nebraska rate payers. Wind energy is an ever-expanding part of Nebraska power districts' portfolios, but it will never be a majority source of energy production in Nebraska; rather, it will be a part of a diverse portfolio of energy production methods.

Norris Public Power District ©2012