The problem as I see it is that while the rate payers are getting charged for conversion to recyclable energy sources the utlilties companies get double profits from them, too - once to pay for the conversion and then they get more profits from the extra energy they can sell by the "SAVINGS" where those who use less energy no longer need as much to power their homes and businesses. I think it behooves the rate regulators to be sure that bills are eventually LOWERED after conversion to renewable resources and that maintenance bills are audited so as to assure efficiency in operations or everybody just simply winds up paying more for less energy.

Wind turbines make money because they make electricity. Landowners with wind turbines on their land get thousands of dollars every year in royalties and compensation. But that electricity is absolutly worthless without transmission lines to deliver the electricity, and NPPD and other transmission developers are currently allowed to TAKE LAND citing "public interest" and pay landowners NOTHING annually. That is not right or fair!! If there are farmers getting paid annually for having wind turbines on their land then farmers should also get just and fair annual payments for having transmission lines on their land, especially transmission lines they do NOT want and did NOT ask for. Nebraska needs to protect landowners who might unfortunately be in the path between one guy's wind farm development - especially wind developments in KANSAS -- and an NPPD or another utility substation. It's like letting the guy with the gold mine get ALL of the money while the guy that mines the gold, trucks the gold, delivers the gold, has the road to deliver the gold, etc. gets NOTHING, even though gold sitting in a gold mine is worthless until it gets to MARKET.

You raise a fair point. It is an issue we are raising in transmission discussions. Landowners who get the transmission lines should be treated more equitably. -- Chuck Hassebrook