Groundbreaking ceremony — May 9, 2002

Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns headed a list of dignitaries at the Kimball Wind Project groundbreaking ceremony on May 9, 2002.

Richard Duxbury, NMPP Energy executive director, welcomed more than 100 Kimball-area citizens and special guests to the event. "As an organization, we are driven to provide economical energy for our members and to be ever conscious of environmental concerns," Duxbury said during his introductory speech. "This is the basis on which we entered into this project.

"The Kimball wind farm fits our system economically and is, environmentally, the right thing to do."

In his remarks, Johanns said, "Today, MEAN, NMPP Energy and Kimball embark on a journey into the future. Together they are taking steps into what will be Nebraska's energy future: producing an increasing amount of electricity from wind. Today, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska and its members are showing that our wind resources can be developed. The steps we are taking here today can lead to tomorrow's big successes."

Following Johanns' speach, Sen. Don Preister, Omaha, a member of the Nebraska Unicameral Natural Resources Committee and long-time supporter of renewable energy, praised NMPP Energy and MEAN's efforts to bring clean energy to the region. "The Kimball wind farm has caught the attention of everyone, from environmental groups as well as conservation groups," he said.

Preister nominated NMPP Energy and MEAN for the Sierra Club's "Friend of the Environment" award. Sierra Club officials presented the award to Duxbury and Bill Leung, MEAN chief operating officer, in late April 2002.