Rebuild Nebraska Finding Fertile Soil
in Beatrice and York
A year ago, not a single business or multiple
family housing
owner in the state had heard of something called Rebuild
Nebraska. Today, it's a different story, especially
in York and Beatrice where 22 Rebuild partners have
been recruited.
Rebuild Nebraska partners are businesses and
multi-family housing owners that voluntarily agree to
improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and
reduce waste. In exchange for that agreement, the partners
gain access to services such as free energy audits and low-cost
financing that is not available to some others in the state.
After just twelve months, the Energy Office delivered
20 percent more Rebuild partners than the agency had
promised the federal government it would recruit. The
U.S. Department of Energy is funding the multi-year effort
in the state. By the first of October, the Energy
Office had signed up ten marketing and 50 building partners
across the state.
After just twelve months, the Energy Office delivered
20 percent more Rebuild partners than the agency had
promised the federal government it would recruit. The
U.S. Department of Energy is funding the multi-year effort
in the state. By the first of October, the Energy
Office had signed up ten marketing and 50 building partners
across the state.
Double-Teaming
“In some areas, we’ve been able to combine our
Rebuild effort with local and regional projects,”
Lynn Chamberlin, Rebuild manager said. Chamberlin pointed
to Beatrice as an example of teaming with Nebraska Public Power
District and Beatrice's electric supplier on a rehabilitation effort
with local businesses. “The services offered by the Energy
Office complemented what the utility was already doing,”
Chamberlin said.
The Energy Office has already performed Rebuild audits
on 99 buildings and presented the energy audit findings to about
three-quarters of the building owners.Each audit examines potential
ways the building and systems within it could be improved and
operating costs reduced.The 99 buildings totaled 1.137 million
square feet.
“We see each of our partners as
unique,” Chamberlin said. “We combine the Energy
Office's technical expertise with the partner's needs and provide
the services that are most valuable.” Chamberlin
estimated the cost of an energy audit of a typical
commercial business ranges from $1,000 to $1,500. “The
Energy Office provides the energy audit free to all
partners,” Chamberlin said.
The other main service a partner can access is
inexpensive local financing. Commercial
Rebuild partners can borrow up to $100,000
at 6 percent interest, if financing is needed to make
cost-saving building improvements. Multiple
family housing owners can borrow up to $60,000 at the
same low interest rate. Loans can be made for up to 15 years.
“If an improvement needs to be financed,”
Chamberlin said, “most partners will be able to deal with a
lender they already know since 70 percent of the
financial institutions in the state offer these loans.”
Nearing $10,000
Over the past seven years, the Energy Office has teamed with
local lenders to finance $9.3 million worth of improvements
in nearly 600 small businesses across the state. Improvements
identified by a Rebuild assessment can also be financed
through the Energy Office. According to Chamberlin nearly $500,000
in Rebuild recommendations will be financed with Energy
Office loans.
“The two most common reasons for not making
cost-effective energy improvements in buildings,”
Chamberlin said, “are ’I don’t know what
needs to be done’ and ‘I can’t afford
it.‘ With Rebuild, those barriers are
gone.”
To learn more about Rebuild Nebraska, contact
Lynn Chamberlin in the Energy Office.
J & L Electronics in Beatrice and York Electronics,
both RadioShack franchises, became Rebuild partners for
similar, yet different reasons.
Fine Tuning Planned Work
The York store had already planned on making
renovations to the building and wanted the Energy Office to make
recommendations in light of those planned changes and to
concentrate the review on the windows, heating and cooling
systems and lights.
Overall, the Energy Office found energy use in the
business to be considerably below the norm for a retail store.
The recommendations to the York store owner suggested adding
R-11 insulation to some walls, moving a door to reduce heat
gain and loss, replacing the store's front windows with
new ones with a minimum level R-2, and several modifications
to the remodeling projects. For example, a minor change in
the ductwork for the new heating and cooling system would
allow better air circulation. Secondly, substituting a
different type of lighting in new fluorescent light fixtures
would improve lighting quality.
The J & L store in Beatrice was needing a more complete
analysis of possible improvements. The Beatrice store was
also housed in an older commercial building that was
considerably larger than its counterpart in York. As expected,
the Beatrice store's energy expenses were higher than those
in York.The owner also had several plans for using existing
space differently.
What's Good, What's Bad
After a Rebuild assessment of the Beatrice store,
the Energy Office recommended the owner consider several
improvements as part of Beatrice's Main Street effort and
integrated the recommendations into the store owner's plans.
For example, if the owner proceeded with plans for a business
on the second floor, insulation could be added to the walls as
a part of the planned remodeling.
The best bet for saving energy came from replacing fluorescent
bulbs and electric ballasts in the store's lights with more
efficient types. This simple recommendation could save nearly
$60 a year. The overall cost of this recommendation was about
$460.
The report also examined the store's heating and cooling
systems. While replacing both systems with more efficient
types was considered, the Energy Office examined the estimated
costs and expected savings, concluding that the cost of the
new furnace would be paid for in less than 15 years, but the
cost of a new cooling system would need nearly 40 years to
recover that investment.
In early fall, the Energy Office received
$355,500 in competitive grants from the U.S. Department
of Energy for multi-year efforts to expand the agency's
work with commercial businesses, multi-family housing
groups and homebuilders to increase energy efficiency
and incorporate higher energy standards into new homes
and buildings.
Rewarding Merit and Innovation
Nebraska ranked as the seventh largest recipient out of
all states and territories that competed for the grants.
Nationally, nearly $10.5 million for 116 projects was awarded.
Last year, the Energy Office ranked as the fourth largest
recipient among those receiving grants.
In the last two years, the federal energy agency
has earmarked some discretionary funds for distribution to
the states for projects in targeted areas. The selection of
the projects funded is predominantly based on merit and
past performance, not population or energy consumption.
The Energy Office received funding for two of the
three projects submitted:
$255,500 for a non-traditional approach to
encouraging Nebraskans to construct more energy-efficient buildings.
The Energy Office, instead of pursuing
legislative mandates, plans to utilize financial markets to
encourage Nebraskans to build homes that meet or exceed
the most current national energy code, the 1995
Model Energy Code. The state's current building code is
the 1983 Model Energy Code.
The Energy Office is using $200,000 in oil
overcharge funds to supplement the federal grant. Oil overcharge
funds are a result of various court actions against oil
companies that overcharged their customers during the period
of federal price controls from 1973-1981.
The oil overcharge funds will be used for Dollar
and Energy Saving Energy Efficient mortgages. The state
funds will leverage an additional $600,000 for the mortgage loans.
$100,000 for expansion of Rebuild Nebraska because
of previous success. Nebraska is one of the few states
to receive an additional grant for work on improving
the energy efficiency of existing commercial and
multi-family housing buildings.
Last year, the Energy Office received $370,000 for three
different multi-year projects. Work on those projects,
Rebuild Nebraska, Climate Wise and the
Federal Energy Management Program, will continue
through 1998.
Today, a house can be constructed so that
utility costs
are less than a dollar a day and the house will still be
standing in 2100 according to Barbara Bannon-Harwood,
author of The Healing House.
The Sidney, Nebraska, native shared ideas about the
basic principles of affordability, durability and
sustainability for housing at an affordable housing
conference in Kearney in October.
Energy Efficiency--The Difference
Harwood talked about two elderly couples who had similar
fixed incomes and homes and were alike in many other ways. Yet,
one couple was sick and uncomfortable while the other couple was
well and happy.
She was convinced the difference was energy efficiency.
Harwood's family helped make the one couple's home more
energy efficient, comfortable and affordable, and that accounted for
the difference in health and happiness.
Harwood said these experiences and other life-changing
events moved her in the direction of home construction using
sustainability and energy efficiency principles.
Award Winning Ideas
Harwood is a builder-developer of both custom and
affordable housing in Carrollton, Texas. She has received national
recognition for her work including the 1996 Building Innovation for
Home Ownership Award, the 1996 and 1997 Energy Value in
Housing Award, the Professional Builder Achievement Award for
Public-Private Partnerships, the Best Low-Income Development Award
and the Distinguished Appropriate Technology Award.
Sustainability Affects Affordable Housing
Other sustainable development and affordable housing
advocates appearing at the conference included Cecil Stewart, Dean of
the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
and Michael Myers from the U.S. Department of Energy, Patrick
Lana from the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development in
Denver, Catherine McGuire from the Joslyn Castle Institute
for Sustainable Communities in Omaha and Mayor Bruce
Snead, Manhattan, Kansas.
The Kearney conference was hosted by the Nebraska Affordable
Housing Commission and coordinated by the Nebraska Department
of Economic Development. The Nebraska Energy Office was one
of numerous sponsors.
For more information on the state's annual housing
conference, contact
Julie
Hendricks at the state's economic
development department at 402-471-4169.
The Energy Office offered free software, videotapes, code
manuals and handbooks to assist conference participants in
building energy efficient housing. The materials include:
The 1995 Model Energy Code published by the
Council of American Builders (A $10 value).
MECcheck Computer Software for the 1995 Model Energy
Code. A simple, one-page program that determines whether
a house complies with the model energy code based on the
square footage, R-values of walls, windows and ceilings
and the performance of heating and cooling systems. The
software works with either DOS or Windows and comes with
a manual.
A videotape on how to “Inspect Houses for Model
Energy Code Compliance.”
Financing Your Improvements, compiled by the
Energy Office, profiles 36 different types of financing
options for making improvements in housing and commercial
and industrial buildings.
Quarterly readers can also obtain these free materials
by contacting Kirk Conger or Lynn Chamberlin in the Energy Office.
The typical family spends
$1,300 annually to heat and cool
their residence and operate energy consuming
appliances.
In some months this cost can approach the
size of the mortgage payment. Our homes and businesses
are our largest investments and we rarely know how much
the needed energy will cost us over the life of the building.
The more energy efficient and environmentally sound our
buildings are, the healthier our personal finances, our
businesses, the economy, and the environment will be.
--Mike Meyers, Office of Building
Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy
In September, the U.S. Department of Energy
selected
the Nebraska Energy Office as administrator of the
13-state Western Regional Biomass Energy Program,
replacing the Western Area Power Administration.
Western is one of five regional biomass programs.
Biomass consists of renewable energy resources such
as forest residue, wood and wood waste, food waste,
agricultural crops and waste, animal waste, livestock
operations residue, aquatic plants and municipal waste.
Electronic Access
“Western has always maintained a level of excellence
and we hope to build on that foundation,” Bob Harris,
Director of the Nebraska Energy Office said. “Over
the years, the Energy Office has maintained an excellent
corps of professionals who will provide valuable
assistance in making Western's successes more widely
known.”
The state agency plans on aggressively moving Western’s
resources into the rapidly expanding electronic information
arena. “I would envision that within months and
possibly even sooner individuals interested in Western's
activities will be able to meet their informational needs on
Western's web site,” Harris said. “We also have
plans to increase the general public's knowledge of biomass
activities by using electronic publishing and mailing as
well as making local, state and national media resources aware
of Western's activities and projects.”
Vital Partner
The federally-funded regional biomass programs began in 1983
when members of Congress created the state-based effort to
expand biomass-to-energy activities and research. “Western
has played a critical role in advancing many projects of significance
in Nebraska,” Harris said. “Since at least 1992,
Nebraska has been able to count on Western's support for projects
that expand the use of biomass resources in the state.”
According to the Energy Office, Western has provided considerable
financial support to local and state projects such as Lincoln's
four E95 buses, the Department of Roads' two E95 heavy duty trucks
and the establishment of a public E85 filling station system across
the state. A recent biomass-to-ethanol-to-electricity fuel cell
conference held in Nebraska City was financed, in part, by Western.
Congress authorized up to $2 million for biomass energy projects
nationwide in 1998.
Others Housed There, Too
The Energy Office also serves as the administrative headquarters
of the 21-member Governors' Ethanol Coalition as well as operating
state and federal energy efficiency programs.
“In working with other energy-based organizations, we in
the Energy Office have found creating partnerships that involve
people at the top as well as across the organizational spectrum
is one of the best ways to achieve progress on many projects,”
Harris said. “It is our hope the same will happen with
people in the 13-state Western region.”
The five-year operating contract with the Energy Office is
conditioned on Congressional support of the biomass program.
For more information about Western, contact
Jeff Graef,
the lead staff person and primary biomass contact in the Energy
Office.
NU Students Compete in National Ethanol Vehicle Challenge
Nebraska Governor Nelson (second from left)
congratulates NU team. Joining the Governor are Associate
Engineering Research Dean Samy Elias at left, mechanical
engineering students and co-team leaders Frank Pruitt and
Kevin Halvorsen and the team's co-faculty advisor,
Associate Professor William Weins.
Nebraska Governor Nelson congratulates the NU
team, along with Associate Engineering Research Dean Samy
Elias at left, and the team's co-faculty advisor, Associate
Professor William Weins.
The team included mechanical engineering students with
co-team leaders Frank Pruitt and Kevin Halvorsen.
Revving up
Engineering students across the nation will be revving up
cars with fuel made from corn and other crops such as grain
sorghum in a new vehicle competition.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and fourteen teams
from 13 other colleges and universities will compete in the
National Ethanol Vehicle Challenge being sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors.
“The time is right for an Ethanol Challenge,”
said Tom Gross from the U.S. Department of Energy.
“Because ethanol can be made from crops grown
in North America, it is truly an American fuel for
American autos. This Challenge will not only build
vehicles, but it will also help ‘build’
the engineers who will carry their knowledge and
enthusiasm for ethanol throughout their engineering
careers.”
Electronic Access
The students will convert a 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, originally
powered by gasoline, to a vehicle fueled by 85 percent ethanol
and 15 percent gasoline, a fuel mixture commonly called E85.
The goal of the contest is to run the car with the alternate
fuel while meeting or beating the performance of conventional
gasoline engines.
A 30-member team from the University of Nebraskafrom freshmen
to graduate students will work on modifying their entry in
the competition. The team plans to beat the gasoline
engine’s performance by at least 25 percent by increasing
the engine’s compression ratio and adding a turbocharger.
The team may even change some of the engine's basics such as
pistons and crankshafts.
During the week-long finals of the competition next May at
the General Motors Technical Center in Michigan, the vehicles
will be put through a rigorous series of tests for emissions,
acceleration, range, handling, energy efficiency, cold start
capability, and a design report. After the tests, the teams
will travel 600 miles to a Washington, DC, conference to
demonstrate that ethanol vehicles are practical and reliable.
Western has joined the Great Lakes region on the
Internet.
While Western's web site is still littered with “under
construction” signs, the site can be accessed at
www.westbioenergy.org
Web site sections will ultimately include:
A general description of Western's regional program
as well as links to the other four regional biomass
programs or their administrators.
The identity of each member state's representative
and how to contact the representative directly.
A copy of the current request for proposals for
conducting work in any one of the region's 14 areas
of prime interest.
Western's annual operating plan for fiscal year 1998.
Publications including periodicals and technical reports.
It is unlikely that archival publications will be available
from the web site.
Postings of Western's meetings as well as those held
by other entities.
The RFP is no longer valid
and is
for reference only. Proposals are NOT
being accepted at this time.
For 1998, the Western region plans on selecting up to
$900,000 in bioenergy projects for funding. The deadline
for submission of suggested projects is January 15, 1998.
The typical maximum for specific projects is $75,000.
Matching funds are required for all projects.
The goal of the projects selected will be to increase
the production and use of biomass energy resources for
economic development and environmental sustainability.
Related goals of the projects can include establishing
biomass power as an economically credible and attractive
option for the electric power industry and decreasing
the reliance on imported fuels by the transportation
sector.
Copies of the complete solicitation, including the
application for funding, are available at
http://www.westbioenergy.org
or can be obtained from the administrative offices.
Questions or other inquiries related to the projects
should be directed to 402-471-3218 or
jgraef@mail.state.ne.us
Editor's Note: This is the fourth
in a periodic series on energy events in Nebraska.
State's First Nuclear Plant Buried Near Lincoln
What is believed to be the largest tomb
in Nebraska is located near Hallam, about 25 miles
southwest of Lincoln.
The tomb holds the remains of the Hallam Nuclear Power
Facility, a sodium-graphite nuclear power plant which
operated briefly from 1962 to 1964. The power plant
had been built and operated as a demonstration project
by the Atomic Energy Commission and Consumers Public
Power District, the predecessor to Nebraska Public
Power District.
Industrial Boom ?
When negotiations began in November 1955, residents
of Hallam were hopeful that the atomic plant would
reinvigorate the town. Construction of the power
plant over a three-year period would employ 600-700
people. About 70 people would be needed when the plant
began operating.
Local visionaries hoped the nuclear plant would
lead to spin-off industries such as food processing by
irradiation, insect and fungus control in agricultural
products, and food sterilization.
The plant, the first of its kind in the nation, would
be built on a section of land one mile north of Hallam.
The cost of the nuclear portion of the plant was
estimated to be $29 million.
The initial unit, Sheldon Station, had three major
components: a conventional fossil-fueled boiler system,
a nuclear reactor and a turbo-electric system which used
steam from both the nuclear and fossil boilers.
A second turbo-generator was to be constructed and
coupled with the conventional boiler after the nuclear
power plant reached full operation.
The two electric units would produce 175,000 kilowatts
of electricity, enough electricity for more than 81,000
residential customers for a year.
Festive Event in ’58
Thousands were on hand for the June 28, 1958, ground
breaking. U.S. Senator Carl Curtis termed the plant
“a great tribute to the foresight of many able
Nebraskans.” C.C. Sheldon, dean of electric
power in Nebraska, pondered the future when he said,
“I just can't visualize what will come from this
experience.”
By August 1961, the atomic plant was near completion
and testing began shortly thereafter. The nuclear plant
began operating in 1962 and was at full power by May 1963.
Electricity production, however, was short-lived. In 1964,
the Atomic Energy Commission ordered the plant decommissioned
because of a design flaw. The stainless steel skins of
several of the plant's moderator elements had cracked,
allowing sodium to come in contact with the graphite,
halting the nuclear process.
By 1969, decommissioning and dismantling activities were
completed. The Atomic Energy Commission retired the facility
in 1971.
Down in the Ground
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy, successor to
the Atomic Energy Commission, is responsible for the
remaining buildings of the Hallam Nuclear Power Plant, but
Nebraska Public Power District owns the facility.
There is no known environmental contamination at the site. In
dismantling the reactor, its core, most of the radioactive
materials and bulk sodium were removed from the site. All
other potential contaminants were entombed and remain below
ground. The entombment structure contains the reactor vessel,
the guard vessel surrounding it and most of the internal parts
of the vessel, stainless steel thimbles which contain process
tubes, control rod tubes, dummy elements, and a spent neutron
source. Twelve storage cells within the structure contain the
damaged moderator elements.
90 More Years of Monitoring
Activities at Hallam now consist of semi-annual surveillance
and monitoring by the federal Energy Department under an
agreement with the Nebraska Department of Health.
This monitoring will continue until 2090.
Geoscientists monitor wells around the entombed reactor for
ground-water conditions and radiological contaminants.
Annual cost of the surveillance is $23,000.
The 1955 hopes of Hallam residents were largely unrealized.
Although the atomic power venture was a failure, electricity
has been generated by conventional means at Sheldon Station
since 1960. With a generating capacity of 229 megawatts,
Sheldon continues as a major factor in Nebraska Public Power
District's electric system.
Curiously, there may be some limited opportunities at the
Hallam facility. A recent U.S. Department of Energy publication
offered information on contracting opportunities at the facility
near Hallam.
Bob Harris, the director of the state's Energy
Office, began wearing two new hats this fall.
Federal Energy Secretary Frederico Peña appointed
Harris to the 21-member State Energy Advisory Board which
reviews the department's plans for energy programs at both
the federal and state levels. The Board is comprised of
energy and weatherization directors as well as other state
officials and representatives.
In November, Harris also became the 1998 Chairman
of the New Uses Council.
The Council is dedicated to expanding the development
and commercialization of new industrial, energy,
pharmaceutical and non-food uses of agricultural products from
both traditional commodities and new crops.
These “new uses” represent growing and important
value-added opportunities for agriculture and are based on
providing competitive, environmentally-improved products made
from renewable resources.
The Council was created in 1990 by agribusinesses,
organizations and government agencies including several
state ag departments.
The Council maintains a web site.
For more information about the New Uses Council or to
become a Council member, contact
Bob Harris in the Energy Office or
Jonathon Harsch,
P.O. Box 144, Jamestown, RI 92835-0144; phone 401-423-0862.
The second nationwide broadcast of state-of-the-art
motor system technologies and maintenance strategies
will be televised next May.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy's
Motor Challenge effort, the upcoming teleconference will
feature industry accomplishments, interviews with experts in
the field and tools and resources for evaluating industrial
motor driven system operations.
The one-and-a-half hour broadcast will be followed by
a session where viewers can ask the experts questions
about particular concerns or areas of interest.
Making Arrangements
To sponsor a local or regional viewing site, there
are just a few things interested parties need to do. First,
contact Julia Oliver at 510-637-1952 or by email at
Julia Oliver.
Julia can provide more specifics about the teleconference.
Second, locate facilities in your area capable of
receiving the broadcast. In many communities, the receivers may
be located in libraries, schools, colleges, universities, city
halls, hospitals and county extension offices. Once you find
the nearest facility, see if it can be reserved in May for the
Motor Challenge Teleconference.
Once the arrangements have been made, you might want
to contact your utility and local development organization to
see if others might be interested in attending the teleconference.
The Nebraska Energy Quarterly features questions
asked about 6% Dollar and Energy Saving Loans.
Loan forms may be obtained from
participating lenders or the Energy Office.
Loans to date: 13,063 for $82.4 million
Questions and Answers...
6% Dollar and Energy Saving Loans
Are low-interest loans always available
to finance improvements?
To date, the state of Nebraska has invested
$20 million
more than 40 percent of all the oil overcharge funds received
in low-interest loans for energy saving improvements.
This $20 million continually revolves.
Borrowers send loan
payments to their lenders, who in turn, submit a portion of
those payments to the Energy Office, usually quarterly.
The repayments to the Energy Office are then invested in
loans to new borrowers.
If the $20 million did not revolve,
the Energy Office
would not have been able to finance $85 million in
improvements in the past seven years.
Strong demand for these loans, especially
in the spring
and fall, can create periods when the Energy Office has
no money for new loans. Generally, these periods are
temporary and clear up in fewer than 30 days.
Unfortunately, during these periods,
loan applicants
cannot proceed with their improvement projects.
If the loan applicant cannot wait, the project must be
financed with a conventional loan or with the applicant's
own funds. The only exceptions to this policy are for
emergency approval for a furnace replacement during
the winter or an air conditioner installation for
medical reasons during the summer.
Can Nebraska businesses that have
more than 25
employees or more than $2.5 million in annual sales
obtain a Dollar and Energy Saving Loan?
Some businesses previously unable to
obtain these
loans may now do so. Manufacturers can become Climate
Wise partners. Climate Wise is a voluntary
local /
state / federal effort to reduce energy use and prevent
pollution. Other types of businesses can become Rebuild
Nebraska partners. Both types of partners can obtain
Dollar and Energy Saving Loans for energy efficiency
and waste reduction projects after an agreement and
plan have been submitted.
Can Dollar and Energy Saving Loans
finance siding and roof repairs on homes?
Neither siding or roofs on homes,
in themselves, can
be financed with the Energy Office's loans. However,
either of these improvements can be included in an
insulation project if a required level of insulation
is added to the wall (for siding) or the attic (for a
roof).
If R-10 or more insulation is being
added to an exterior
wall and the siding is necessary to protect the
insulation from weather damage, then siding can be
included with the insulation project.
If R-30 or more insulation is being
added to a ceiling
or attic and the existing roof needs to be repaired
or replaced to protect the new insulation, then the roofing
costs can be included with the insulation project. If the
roof is not currently leaking, then the roofing project
cannot be financed by the Energy Office. Any insurance
payments received by the borrower for roof repairs must
be deducted from the cost of the project.
If only insulation is being
added to a building,
then just Form 2 needs to be completed. If a siding or
roofing project is included, then Form 2 plus
Form 2 Siding or Form 2 Roofing must be submitted.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse
provides fact sheets, brochures, videos and publications on energy
efficiency and renewable energy.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse,
P.O. Box 3048,
Merrifield, VA 22116
Phone between 7am-4pm CT,
Monday-Friday. 1-800-363-3732 or for the hearing impaired call
1-800-273-2957 8am-6pm.
Fax 1-703-893-0400
The 21-member Governors' Ethanol Coalition
gave its
first-ever special recognition for outstanding service
award to Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson for his past
efforts to expand the use of ethanol in the nation.
The award was presented by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad
at the Coalition's October meeting in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Governors’ Ethanol Coalition has members from
20 states including Nebraska, the territory of Puerto Rico
and two international members, Brazil and Sweden. Nelson
was instrumental in the formation of the Coalition in
the fall of 1991.
In accordance with the American
Disabilities Act, the state will provide
reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities.
If you need reasonable accommodation to participate
in any program or activity listed in this
publication, please contact the Energy Office
at 402-471-2186 to coordinate arrangements.
Upon request, this publication may be available
in alternative formats.
This material was prepared with the support of
the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grant No.
DE-FG47-92CE60410. However, any opinions, findings,
conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein
are those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of DOE.
