The project is sited on private land in Antelope, Boone, and Madison Counties, approximately 100 miles northwest of the city of Lincoln. Prairie Breeze consists of 118 GE 1.7 MW wind turbines, with output purchased by the Omaha Public Power District ("OPPD") under long-term agreement.
"Prairie Breeze is Invenergy’s first wind farm in Nebraska, a state which offers one of the nation’s best wind resources," said Jim Shield, Chief Development Officer at Invenergy. "We’re proud to invest in Nebraska and in the economic future of the project area. Invenergy appreciates the strong support for this project, and we are committed to sustaining a long and successful relationship with our host community."
"The issue of renewable energy is an important one to the stakeholders of OPPD, especially as we look to the future. OPPD remains strongly committed to providing affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive services to our customers," said OPPD Vice President of Corporate Service Sherrye Hutcherson. "We will continue to evaluate opportunities, like Prairie Breeze, where it makes good sense to expand our renewable energy portfolio."
"OPPD voluntarily committed to produce 10 percent renewable energy for retail sales by 2020. With this project, we will already surpass that goal," added Dean Mueller, Division Manager of Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship for OPPD. "In fact, by 2017, OPPD will have a renewable energy portfolio of 30 percent. You can only have that sort of progress when you have solid projects."
Community economic benefits from Prairie Breeze include tax payments, lease payments to landowners, and staff salaries. More than 230 skilled workers constructed the wind farm, with Blattner Energy serving as general contractor. A full-time staff of thirteen now operates and maintains the facility.
