Wind energy's expansion in Nebraska creates sharp new divide

Lincoln Journal Star: Many of Nebraska's neighbors are national leaders in wind energy, and advocates say the state could easily join them.

But as wind energy has grown in Nebraska, so has a fervent resistance from mostly rural landowners and lawmakers who view the turbines as noisy, heavily subsidized eyesores that lead to lower property values.

The pushback was clear last year, when Lancaster and Gage counties approved noise restrictions that effectively halted several proposed wind farms. At the state level, a Nebraska lawmaker is trying to temporarily stop commercial wind projects in the Sandhills.

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