Last week, OPPD announced it would be entering into a 20-year contract to buy 60 megawatts of electricity from a newly constructed wind farm which will be located in SW Richardson County. The Flat Water Wind project will generate reliable energy, create clean-energy jobs and provide long-term economic benefits for Richardson County. Flat Water Wind LLC is a subsidiary of juwi Group/JW Prairie Wind Power (JWPW). According to juwi, the Richardson County wind farm will be the company’s first large-scale wind farm in the US and the largest wind development project the company has ever undertaken, as well as OPPD’s largest wind energy project.

Falls City EDGE was actively involved in this successful project as noted by Dick Zachariason, juwi Wind US Corp’s Chief Operating Officer, “Falls City EDGE played an important role in helping us introduce the wind project to Richardson County citizens. EDGE assisted in setting up community meetings, spreading the word throughout southeastern Nebraska, and helped focus the region’s economic development on the benefits of wind power.”

The Flat Water Wind project will be developed using provisions contained in LB 629 which allows Nebraska’s publicly-owned utilities to purchase electricity generated by wind turbines owned by Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) partnerships. The success of the C-BED bill was instrumental in attracting new wind investments to Nebraska and it’s helping Nebraska’s wind industry move forward. Construction of the wind farm, which includes 40 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, is expected to begin late this year or early next year with commercial operation expected by the end of 2010.

“Falls City EDGE is very excited to once again have the opportunity to participate in a project that provides such significant benefits to Richardson County” said Beckie Cromer, Executive Director of Falls City EDGE, “This truly was a county-wide effort and the success is shared by all partners involved including Falls City EDGE, our counterparts – the Humboldt Shares – and Richardson County. The Flat Water Wind development project will position us as a leader in renewable energy and represents a positive step in making Nebraska more self sufficient relative to its energy needs.”

juwi Wind US Corp. CEO Ralf Krueger noted, “Similar to our long-standing relationships with our home region in Germany, we look forward to developing strong local ties to the community and with our utility partner in the Flat Water Wind Farm, OPPD. “We are glad Falls City EDGE has made renewable energy a priority,” concluded Krueger.

For more information, see:

juwi/JWPW Flat Water Wind Farm Project Profile »»

juwi July 25, 2009, Press Release Announcing Flat Water Wind Farm Development »»

Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) July 9, 2009, Press Release on Wind Power Purchase Agreement »»

EDGE Newsletter
Volume III • 2009

Headlines in this Issue

• Falls City Earns Economic Development Certified Community Designation
• Grand Weaver Ribbon Cutting
• Falls City Receives Housing Study Grant
• EDGE Filling the Marketing-Sales Pipeline
• Industrial Park Expansion Update
• Southeast Nebraska Economic Development Summit
• NE Legislative Wrap-Up
• EDGE Mid-Year Event and Report Highlight Public-Private Teamwork on the Road to Success
• EDGE Lunch & Learn Focuses on Technology in Education
• Key Findings of EDGE Member Investors Survey
• EDGE Co-Sponsoring Business Plan Competition
• EDGE Employer Spotlight on Falls City Mercantile, Inc.
• Meet Cassey Whalen

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