Submit comments on Interim 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan

Dear fellow activists,

This email is to remind you that the deadline to comment on the Interim 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan is Jan. 23, 2009, 5:00 PM.

Read the Interim 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan: at http://www.neo.ne.gov/comments2/PlanDraft2009.pdf
Write and submit comments at: http://www.neo.ne.gov/comments2/index.php

in peace and conservation
Carol Smith
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I have included my submission, below.


I have read the Interim 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan in its entirety and I found many positive recommendations. That said, there is still a lot of support for regressive policy. I am strongly biased in the direction of sustainable sources of energy such as wind, solar, non-food crop ethanol and biofuels.

In our personal lives, my husband and I retrofitted our 110 year old house with a geothermal heat pump. This year we hope to install solar PV panels and my dream for the future is to build a house that uses NET ZERO energy--that means it will produce as much or more energy than it uses.

It is my opinion that energy efficiency is KEY! The cheapest kilowatt is the one that is NOT used.

My comments on the energy plan by category:
Agriculture.
encourage energy efficiency and conservation--very good!
D. recycle farm waste--methane digesters--very good
Irrigation--encourage development of drought- resistant and drought-tolerant crops--good

Buildings.
Institute a comprehensive and coordinated approach to building energy efficiency--very good
facilitating cooperation among federal, state and local government agencies--very good
promote incentives for building owners to make energy improvements--very, very good and important
codes--offer education/training programs to public and members of the construction industry--very good
public buildings--Fully energy efficient government SERVE AS A MODEL for conservation--very, very good and important
incentives--education is key and incentives are the best educator
recycling construction waste--the public is leading the way here, government must catch up

Economic Development.
Nebraska is rich in wind and solar resources--start up costs are less than for nuclear and there is no waste!!!!! to dispose of or store.

Education.
develop curricula for ALL Nebraska students and citizens. The green wave in energy is coming and may even be mandated, so let us prosper from it by keeping our children and industry dollars in the state.

Electricity.
See Economic Development above. In addition, coal is a tremendously polluting source of energy and MUST be phased out.
Nebraska has already spent $200 million plus for nuclear waste so far. Nuclear energy is a huge sucking monetary wound.
Energy efficiency is the MOST important economic approach to reducing energy costs. The kilowatt not used is the CHEAPEST!
Wind is our most abundant energy resource and should be utilized to its fullest extent.
Solar energy peaks in summer exactly when air conditioning demand is highest

Transportation Fuels.
Fuel efficiency--very important
develop "next generation" ethanol production technologies, switch grass, algae, industrial hemp and sorghum
biodiesel--stop using food crops, especially ones that need irrigation. Use instead miscanthus, flax, mustard, rapeseed, sunflower, hemp, animal fats and waste vegetable oil.

Mass Transportation.
This part of the plan needs work. Nebraska has almost no mass transit infrastructure, except for a wonderful bike trail system.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to voice my opinion.

Carol Smith