October 13, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Participant Registration and General Information Contact: Nebraska Farmers Union: 402-476-8815

For Exhibitor or Sponsor Information Contact: Shawnna Silvius: 402-873-4027 or 620-664-8286

Nebraska Wind Power 2010 Conference Scheduled for Kearney November 9-10

(LINCOLN) – The agenda has been finalized and speakers announced for the Wind Power 2010 Conference to be held in Kearney at the new Younes Conference Centre November 9-10. This year’s conference will include three separate tracks, 27 sessions and presentations, and 70 wind expert speakers who will provide the latest information on a wide range of wind related topics.

The Tuesday noon luncheon keynote speaker will be James A. Walker, Vice Chairman of the enXco Board of Directors and Past President of the American Wind Energy Association Board. Wednesday’s noon luncheon keynote speaker will be Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy. In addition, nationally recognized experts will present on wind transmission issues, wind incentives in other states, different kinds of farmer and community owned wind structures, as well as panels of state senators, wind developers, and small wind dealers on how to move Nebraska wind development forward.

On Tuesday, one program track will feature small wind issues highlighting R. Nolan Clark of Amarillo, Texas, a retired USDA wind specialist who is recognized as one of the nation’s wind industry giants for his pioneering research on wind energy. On Wednesday, one track will feature Nebraska’s rapidly expanding wind education and training opportunities, including the “Wind for Schools” program, which now includes 20 schools using small wind turbines to propel wind related curriculum and student interest in wind related careers.

Included in the 27 different sessions will be a report on the 300 Megawatts of Nebraska wind energy projects currently in some stage of project construction, an update on the now completed NE Power Association and National Renewable Energy Laboratory Wind Integration Task Force report, a session with a top official from the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), landowner associations, landowner wind contracts, net metering, large and small wind planning and zoning issues, large and small wind siting considerations, wildlife issues, wind technician training, transmission, state and federal policies, and roundtable discussions with wind developers and state senators on ways to move wind energy forward.

The event is sponsored by the NE Wind Working Group (NWWG), a state and federal partnership funded by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America to help develop the state’s wind resources. The NWWG has three Co-Chairs: Senator Cap Dierks of Ewing, Dan McGuire, National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Department of Energy’s Nebraska Wind for Schools Facilitator, and John Hansen, Nebraska Farmers Union President.

“This Conference has it all, great commercial exhibitors, experts on small, medium, and large wind energy issues, wind education, wind careers, wind based economic and community development, and at a very affordable cost,” said Sen. Dierks.

“This year’s conference has a lot of new wind energy development and state wind policy progress to report on. Yet, Nebraska is just starting to tap the vast amount of wind energy based potential for our state, which is now ranked 4^th nationally in wind energy resources. This event brings together all the Nebraska wind energy stakeholders, has an impressive set of speakers, commercial exhibitors, and wind experts, and at an outstanding new convention facility,” said Dan McGuire.

John Hansen concluded, “Given the good harvest conditions, we hope more landowners will be able to attend this year because we have many excellent landowner based sessions built into the conference program for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. We encourage everyone to register for the conference online before October 24^th to get the early registration rates and also reserve their rooms at the Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, or Wingate Inn as soon as possible.”

Pre-registration fees for the conference are $60 per person and $30 per student through October 24^th, and $75 per person and $45 per student for registration after the deadline and at the door space permitting. Registration fees includes meals.

For online conference registration and detailed agenda information:

Nebraska Energy Office: http://www.neo.ne.gov/renew/wind-working-group/2010conference/register.htm

Nebraska Farmers Union: http://www.nebraskafarmersunion.org

For Hotel Reservations: Holiday Inn: 308-237-5971 Hampton Inn: 308-234-3400 Wingate Inn: 308-237-4400

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