By Becky Vogt
Rural Nebraskans are more supportive of home- or community-based wind and solar production than large-scale production models, and more supportive overall of solar energy production versus wind, according to the 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll.
Fifty-six percent of rural Nebraskans surveyed support home-based systems for solar energy production, such as solar panels installed on private property and owned by the landowner. Fifty-one percent also support community-based production, which often works as cooperative models. In both cases, excess energy can often be sold to local power companies. But support for either home- or community-based wind production systems is mixed, with about equal preference for or against.
When it comes to large-scale operations, however, most respondents strongly or somewhat oppose large-scale energy production through wind (59%) and solar (52%). These operations are generally private companies that install wind turbines or solar panels on land leased from local landowners, and they supply electricity to an entire region.
“Rural Nebraskans’ preferences show a clear desire to keep energy production local,” said Heather Akin, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication. “People are open to renewable energy, especially when it’s owned and operated close to home, where the benefits stay in the community. The hesitancy toward large-scale projects suggests that rural residents want to be sure those projects really serve local interests.”
Some regional differences exist when examining the support for these various energy production scenarios. Respondents in the north-central region tended to be least supportive of any of the scenarios, while those in the Panhandle were most likely to support each of the farm- or community-based systems.
When asked about positive and negative impacts of wind turbines, the poll found 53% of respondents believe they can create visual or aesthetic problems. Many respondents also agree that wind turbines cause other problems, such as harming birds and bats (48%) and creating noise pollution (46%). But many also agree they have positive impacts on job creation and economic benefits for local communities (45%).
Source : unl.edu