*Donate now to support Bold Nebraska’s work building clean and local energy*
The “Harvest the Hope” benefit concert in September 2014 saw more than 8,500 people converge on a farmer’s corn field near Neligh, Nebraska to see legends Neil Young and Willie Nelson along with Frank Waln, Lukas Nelson and local artists all speaking out to protect our land and water from the risky Keystone XL pipeline.
We committed some of the proceeds from the concert to help fund small, local renewable energy projects on farms, ranches and tribal lands. We are proud to announce the first several projects supported by Harvest the Hope concertgoers.
We will announce several more projects in early 2015! If you have ideas for projects, email ben@boldnebraska.org.
You are powering these projects. One way we can show political leaders in our state the benefits of small and local clean energy is to keep funding projects so more families, young people, farmers and ranchers can continue to lead the way.
Help build our energy by donating today!
SOLAR POWERS PIPELINE FIGHTER’S FARM
“Harvest the Hope” concert hosts and farmers Art and Helen Tanderup just installed a new 9-Kilowatt solar array on their land near Neligh, Nebraska — which also happens to be directly on the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline.
The solar panels will power Art’s farm operation, farmhouse, and also a new Chevy Volt the Tanderups surprised the family with for Christmas. Driving on sunshine!
The solar array is tied to the grid, so Art will be putting clean and locally-produced energy back into Nebraska’s power system.
Fellow local farmer Jim Knopik built the frame and completed the installation. Martin Kleinschmidt, also a family farmer, helped the Tanderups plan how much solar they needed. Local money kept local to build local energy. That’s building our energy!
*Bold contributed funds from Harvest the Hope proceeds to help pay for Art’s solar project. Donate today to keep building local energy!
NET-METERING: PUTTING A FARMER’S CLEAN POWER BACK ON THE GRID
Merlin and Rita Friesen are farmers who grow vegetables and raise chickens on Sunny Slope Farm near Filley, Nebraska. Merlin is a staunch opponent of the risky Keystone XL, and already has already installed $10,000 in renewable energy projects on his land — including solar panels, a solar water heater, wind turbine and windmill.
The problem is, Merlin is producing more clean energy than his farm needs, but it can be expensive to pay the power company to add “net metering” so that his surplus energy can be used and he can get paid for being a clean energy producer.
Bold is proud to be part of the system that will put more clean and local energy onto Nebraska’s power grid. Merlin and Rita were early adopters of clean energy and are a model for family farmers and ranchers across the country.
*Bold is contributing funds from Harvest the Hope proceeds to help tie Merlin’s existing renewable energy to the grid. Donate today to keep building local energy!
BIOFUELS CO-OP GETS NEW STORAGE TANKS
To reduce plastic use and waste at Harvest the Hope, we distributed free water that was stored in tanks.
After the concert, we donated the tanks to the Omaha Biofuels Coop, which is using them to store processed vegetable oil that is used to power vehicles that run on biodiesel.
Omaha Biofuels Coop also recently partnered with the Henry Doorly Zoo to help power the zoo’s iconic passenger train from a solar-powered biofuel tank sourced from the zoo’s concession stand fryers.
*Bold contributed the tanks purchased with Harvest the Hope proceeds to the Omaha Biofuels Coop. Donate today to keep building local energy!
