Solar power in Nebraska is used for only a very small percentage of the state's electricity, although it is rapidly becoming competitive with grid electricity, due to the decrease in cost and the 30% tax credit, which can be used to install systems of any size. In 2024, the state ranked 44th among the 50 U.S. states with 203 MW of installed capacity.
Solar power and wind power could be harvested to provide all of Nebraska's energy need, although they would require either transmission lines to provide power when neither is available or storage. Estimates show that Nebraska could generate 3,832,600 GWh/year from wind,Estimates of Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential, by State and 34.1% of demand from rooftop solar panels, using 8,200 MW of solar panels.Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States
Utility installations Nebraska had seven utility-scale solar installations sized larger than 1.0 MW at the end of 2019. These include a 5.8 MW system in Kearney and a 3.6 MW system in Lexington; both commissioned in 2017.Solar Energy Generation in Nebraska, Nebraska Energy Office, May 12, 2016 A 3.6 MW community solar plant on the west side of Lincoln was to be finished in 2016.Solar power on the rise in Nebraska, Fred Knapp, NET News, May 31, 2016
Statistics Source: NREL
+Grid-connected PV capacity (MW)Nebraska Solar Year Capacity Change % change 2010 0.2 0.2 >100% 2011 0.3 0.1 50% 2012 0.4 0.1 33% 2013 0.6 0.2 50% 2014 0.8 0.2 33% 2015 1.1 0.3 37% 2016 14.2 13.1 1190% 2017 35.2 21.0 148% 2018 43.2 8.0 23% 2019 55.2 12.0 28% 2020 63.0 7.8 14% 2021 73.6 10.6 16% 2022 83 9.4 12%
+ Utility-scale solar generation in Nebraska (GWh) Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2016 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 2017 15 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2018 27 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 3 2 2 1 1 2019 31 1 1 2 3 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 2 2020 55 2 4 4 6 6 7 7 6 5 3 3 2 2021 57 3 3 5 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 3
See also Wind power in Nebraska Solar power in the United States Renewable energy in the United States
External links Comparison of solar power potential by state Nebraska solar cost estimate Renewable energy map
References