Farming the wind

Kimball's wind farm, located just northwest of the city, will soon be decommissioned and replaced with 12 new turbines.

2017 marks 15 years of operation for the local wind farm, the first utility-scale project of its kind in the state, according to a recent news release. Increasing maintenance requirements for the aging turbines, and the associated cost of repairs, led the Municipal Energy Alliance of Nebraska (MEAN) to begin looking for green alternatives.

The project, scheduled to begin this summer and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will replace the seven existing 1.5 me...