2016 Legislative Update...
Nebraska Unicameral Passes Energy Bills
Several energy bills came before the Unicameral in 2016, and a few did pass. Here are some highlights on a couple of them:
LB 902: Change the Nebraska Clean-burning Motor Fuel Development Act
This bill was signed by Governor Pete Ricketts on April 7, 2016 and makes changes to the Nebraska Clean-Burning Motor Fuel Rebate program managed by the Nebraska Energy Office. The program offers rebates on new vehicle purchases or conversions of vehicles to a clean-burning fuel such as compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas or hydrogen fuel cell. Rebates are also available for home-fill stations for those fuels, and for flex fuel blender pumps. The most important and relevant change is that the Act now allows rebates for conversion of a vehicle as part of a dedicated, bi-fuel or dual-fuel system. The bill is effective July 21, 2016.
LB 824: Provide for compensation of certain Nebraska Power Review Board members and for privately developed renewable energy generation facilities and appropriate funds
While LB 824 includes two different issues, the bulk of the bill streamlines the process for wind development in Nebraska. The bill addresses recommendations from a 2014 Brattle Group Study on wind development in Nebraska including removing the requirement of a power purchase agreement in advance of the project approval.