LINCOLN – Lincoln Electric System has announced plans to decommission the two oldest wind generators in Nebraska, located in northeast Lincoln.
LES will decommission Wind Turbine #1 (East) as it sits on the proposed Nebraska Department of Correctional Services site, nearly a half-mile north of I-80 on N. 70th St. The turbine is already out of service due to a mechanical issue.
Wind Turbine #2 (West), located closer to the Lincoln City Landfill, fully maturing this year, had an initial life expectancy of 25 years. LES has studied the viability of this remaining turbine and is moving forward with decommissioning it as well, based primarily on the remaining life of the equipment and cost savings for decommissioning this turbine at the same time as Wind Turbine #1.
Preparation for the decommissioning has already begun; the felling of both turbines will occur in early July, and cleanup will take place throughout July. Once removed, parts will be recycled, salvaged and properly disposed of in an environmentally compliant landfill facility.
“We know that these two wind turbines are recognizable structures within Lincoln, so LES weighed every decision regarding this project carefully,” said Scott Benson, LES manager of Resource & Transmission Planning. “It’s sad to see the turbines go after such a long history, but they will always represent an important stepping stone in our community’s path toward a greener energy future.”
Constructed in the late 1990s, these 290-foot-tall wind turbines have a total capacity of 1.3 MW and served as LES’ first investment in wind. They allowed LES to learn more about renewable energy, which led to investing in many utility-scale wind projects and other renewable energy sources. To date, LES’ nameplate resource portfolio of wind is approximately 300 MW in high-wind areas of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Based on the 2022 Integrated Resource Plan, found at LES.com/IRP, wind energy will continue to be a part of the future generation mix as part of LES’ goal to eliminate or offset LES’ carbon dioxide production from our generation portfolio by 2040. Today, LES’ nameplate resource portfolio is diversified between 34% renewable resources (i.e., wind, hydro, solar and landfill gas), 35% natural gas and 31% coal. The removal of Wind Turbine #1 and Wind Turbine #2 does not meaningfully change this breakdown.
For more information on this project, visit LES.com. Stay up to date on the latest at LES by following us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
MORE INFORMATION
- What replaces this wind energy?
Based on the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan, found at LES.com/IRP, wind energy will continue being a part of the future generation mix as part of LES’ goal to eliminate or offset LES’ carbon dioxide production from our generation portfolio by 2040. Several different factors influence the potential wind resource in an area. The three main factors that influence power output are: wind speed, air density, and blade radius. Wind turbines need to be in areas with a lot of wind on a regular basis, which is more important than having occasional high winds, such as the Lincoln area. This is why LES has wind farms with geographic diversity in high-wind areas of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. - What happens to the wind turbine parts?
Decommissioning activity will include deactivating from the surrounding electrical system and steps to ensure safe disassembly. Liquid waste, including gearbox oil and hydraulic fluids, is being removed and properly disposed of or recycled. Wind turbine blades will be recycled through cement co-processing, a sustainable solution for end-of-life composite materials. Clean metal will be recycled at a steel mill. The remainder of other very small particles will be disposed of in an environmentally compliant landfill facility.
- Why were these two wind turbines important to Lincoln?
With community support, the first wind turbine generator was completed in December 1998 and the second in October 1999. Customers were able to enroll in support of the project. Each “unit” of power sold to those customers for about $6/unit. This community renewables project was a model for the 2016 LES community solar project, bringing a 5-MWDC utility-scale solar installation to Nebraska. The two wind turbines are located a half-mile north of I-80 on N. 70th Street. These wind turbines were LES’ first investment in wind. They allowed staff to learn more about wind generation and renewables, later investing in many utility-scale wind projects. To date, LES’ nameplate resource portfolio of wind is approximately 300MW in Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.